Results 8,821-8,840 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: That brings us to the end of the session. I thank Ms Carolan, Mr. Murphy and Mr. Sunderland for their attendance and engagement, which has been very helpful. The meeting is adjourned until 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 30 March, when we will recommence in public session to carry out further pre-legislative scrutiny on the electoral reform Bill with representatives of social media organisations.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: We received a request from the Business Committee regarding the Minister's request for a waiver of pre-legislative scrutiny, PLS, of the Residential Tenancies Bill on the grounds of urgency and time constraints. The Business Committee referred the matter to this committee and the question for consideration is whether a waiver of PLS should be granted. I will read the note on privilege....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank the Senator. I agree with much of what he said. It is my experience of this committee, in the eight months it has been together, that it has taken pre-legislative scrutiny very seriously. Members have applied themselves to it very diligently. We have produced a number of reports and there are further reports in train at the moment. There is much more legislation coming towards...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I ask the Deputy to be brief because the agenda item today is a vote on whether we waive PLS and not to debate the Bill. Today's meeting is not about voting on or scrutinising a Bill, it is about whether we agree to waive the PLS.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: Thank you, Deputy Ó Broin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank the Deputy. I agree with a number of the points he made. We were briefed yesterday on the detail of the Bill. At the request of Deputy Ó Broin, the committee secretariat will request the Minister to come before it, when I have no doubt we will put questions to him on the manner in which this request came before the committee and the committee having to make this decision. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I agree with Deputy O'Donoghue. The committee has applied itself diligently to pre-legislative scrutiny on all the Bills which have come before it. It is the timely and urgent manner of this Bill, however, that is a concern. I want to carry out pre-legislative scrutiny on legislation. That is our job. I totally agree with Deputy O'Donoghue on that. However, there is a time constraint...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I share Deputy Cian O'Callaghan's concern. Members are suggesting we meet this week and the next to carry out pre-legislative scrutiny. A report has to be produced. We then have to meet to decide on that report, submit recommendations or deal with other considerations. Then the report has to be rewritten and brought back to be agreed by the committee. Then it has to be laid before the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Gould for the distance he travelled to take part in the vote. It shows his commitment to scrutinising legislation and participating on the committee. To give him an indication of how seriously we take the scrutiny of legislation, as well as the workload of the committee, which gives us a good understanding of the timeframes involved in pre-legislative scrutiny, Committee...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I apologise for interrupting the Senator but we are here to discuss whether we support the waiving of pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. If we decide to carry out pre-legislative scrutiny, the Senator will have the opportunity to raise all the points she has made. If we do not carry out pre-legislative scrutiny, she will have the opportunity to make those submissions in the Seanad. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank the Senator. To clarify, I was not trying to direct the Senator to say anything. Rather, I am just trying to keep the committee to the agenda and the agenda item is whether we waive pre-legislative scrutiny.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Duffy. I apologise to Deputy Higgins; I did not see her hand up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Higgins. The proposal that was put can be considered in the course of pre-legislative scrutiny or when the Bill goes before the Houses of the Oireachtas. It is not a matter for the committee to deal with today. We are here to vote on whether to waive pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank members for their participation. We will now send-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank the members for pointing that out. We will send a message to the Business Committee that we agree to waive pre-legislative scrutiny. The committee will reconvene on Tuesday, 23 March to continue pre-legislative scrutiny of the electoral reform Bill.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Proposed Legislation (11 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: 24. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the draft legislation to legalise the use of e-scooters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13625/21]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta (10 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: 1026. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the existing policy that offers indemnity to private land owners, whose land is crossed by a registered horse trail, if there is an accident; and if a similar policy will be considered that would allow indemnity on public land that would include land owned by Coillte to allow for the expansion of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 (Resumed): Land Development Agency (9 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I welcome members and witnesses to our meeting on pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020. We are joined remotely by Mr. John Coleman, CEO, Ms Rose Kenny, head of operations, and Mr. Phelim O'Neill, head of property, all of whom are from the Land Development Agency. The opening statement has been circulated to members. I will first ask the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 (Resumed): Land Development Agency (9 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: We might return later to the question on the completion pipeline from 2023 to 2025. I am moving now to Fine Gael. Can I have an indication from Fine Gael?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 (Resumed): Land Development Agency (9 Mar 2021)

Steven Matthews: I am sorry Mr. Coleman but we have run out of time in that slot. We will come back to the issue of engagement with the local authorities in the next round of questioning. Deputy O'Donoghue is next.