Results 81-100 of 9,120 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank the Deputy. "What changes are needed?" is always a helpful question. I have tried to write down everything the witnesses have said but I will have to go through the transcript because I missed the second last thing that Mr. Murtagh said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: We are coming down to five-minute slots in this round to try to allow people to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: Direct questions and answers would be helpful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Allen. I have only ten minutes left and I have a number of speakers so if people will be direct and save some time it might be helpful. Senator Fitzpatrick is next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: I will take the next slot. Next to speak will be Senator Boyhan. I will be quite brief. All our guests have stated that there should be an appeals system. Which body should deal with that appeals system? I really do not want us to have to set up another body to deal with it. Is there a ready-made body that could provide an appeals system in a quick, efficient and fair manner?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: Did Mr. Stanley say that should reside within the Department?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: Does Senator Boyhan wish to ask a further question? No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: We will suspend to allow for a changeover of witnesses. Officials from the Department are due before us. I thank the witnesses for taking time out of their very busy days to help us with this. They are very welcome to remain in the Public Gallery and listen to the next session.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: I welcome everybody back to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We are continuing pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024. I welcome the officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We are joined by Mr. David Kelly, assistant secretary in the homelessness, rental and social...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Kelly. I also thank his team for the briefing the committee received on 9 April. We will have six-minute slots. Members have agreed to let Senator Boyhan go first because he has an engagement in the Seanad.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: To provide clarity to Senator Boyhan, as I am aware he may have been listening to the previous sessions, the discussion we had in the first meeting was primarily on Part 2, but there are provisions here in relation to Parts 3 and 4, which we have not touched on, as yet. I assume that like Part 2 and the circular, they are provisions where it is suggested that they will require primary...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: We are out of time in the slot, so I am going to move to the next. I am conscious some Senators are on duty elsewhere, so I will take the next one myself. The witnesses outlined that there was consultation with groups. In previous sessions, consultation with migrant-community representatives was mentioned. What groups were consulted? Several were mentioned in our previous session. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: I think we received submissions from Crosscare and FLAC. We will go through the list but we might seek further written submissions based on evidence. I am open to suggestions. Were any of the groups I have mentioned part of the consultations?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: I think those were the groups that were mentioned, but we might still look for further submissions. Considering the advice in 2012 that we should put what was proposed into primary legislation, would the Department be able to furnish the committee with information on cases that have been taken or challenges, particularly those that have been upheld? I appreciate that Mr. Kelly might not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: That is fine. There should always be an appeals process in any decision-making process. We have one in most walks of life. The appeals process should be quite speedy. We do not want people in an appeals process to have to spend 12 or 18 months not knowing what is going to happen regarding their housing needs or where they will end up. For the applicant and for the system to operate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: Some of the witnesses raised the definitions. I ask for further clarification on what the definitions will be, especially in terms of the "reckonable residency", which was also brought up. It would be helpful for the committee to receive definitions and further expansion. Could they come back to us with that? On the issue of data, can Mr. Kelly clarify what he said in his introduction...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank you for clarifying that. We will move now to Deputy Gould.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: It is a question we can put to the Department.. Does Senator Boyhan wish to come back in again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Steven Matthews: We can certainly ask the Department about its reasons for doing this, rather than its motivation. I will give the last word to Community Law and Mediation to respond to that question.