Vol. 432 No. 7
3 Mrs. Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment the resources, if any, he will make available to local authorities to enable them to fulfil their obligation to supervise and enforce the rent books and standards regulations which have recently been announced.
Local authorities have been issued with explanatory material, including an information leaflet for the public, in respect of the Housing (Rent Books) Regulations, 1993 and the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 1993. Different elements of the regulations come into effect over a period of time commencing on 1 September 1993. Authorities have been fully appraised of their responsibilities in relation to the regulations and have been requested to put arrangements in place to secure the highest possible degree of compliance with the requirements of the regulations. It is now a matter for individual local authorities to make the necessary arrangements to enforce the regulations in their area.
I asked the Minister what resources, if any, he will make available to local authorities to enable them to supervise the two new regulations and he has yet to reply to that question. What resources will the Minister give to hard pressed local authorities either by way of staff or extra finance to ensure compliance with these two important regulations?
It is a matter for individual local authorities to make the necessary arrangements to enforce the regulations in their areas. The allocation of staffing resources between the various local authority programmes is entirely a matter for individual managers and the recruitment of staff, where necessary, is also a matter for managers within approved overall officer numbers. Any proposals for additional officer staff will be given full consideration in my Department. Under existing arrangements managers have considerable flexibility in filling vacancies and in allocating staff to various services on the basis of need and priority. The employment of non-officers — formerly servant grades — is a matter for managers, subject to their budgetary considerations.
Am I to understand that there will be no extra finance but the possibility of extra staff if they apply? Perhaps the Minister will confirm that is what he said. Will he indicate exactly how these regulations will be enforced by the said officers of the local authorities? How will the private sector be monitored as distinct from the public sector? Is it not expecting local authorities to act as judge and jury if they are enforcing these regulations on local authority and public accommodation?
The new standard regulations are a development of existing measures which certain local authorities currently enforce under by-laws in accordance with section 70 of the Housing Act, 1966. In 1992, for example, Dublin Corporation inspected 2,170 dwellings as part of the enforcement of its by-laws, served 287 notices for non-compliance and initiated 18 prosecutions. The by-laws will cease to have effect when the new standards for private rented accommodation come into effect on 1 January 1994. The system is already in place. This is simply an extension so that the whole country is covered and local authorities who did not use their powers under the 1966 Act will be obliged to implement the standards under the new regulations.
Will the Minister assure the House that these two new regulations will offer greater security of tenure, particularly to long-term tenants such as those in the Mespil flats? Perhaps he will explain how this could help to avoid another Mespil flats scenario? Why, with the introduction of the standard regulation, is the operation date for private rented accommodation to be 1 January 1994 while for dwellings let by local authorities it does not come into operation until 1 January 1998? Is the Government prepared to commit the necessary finance to ensure that people who live in local authority houses can expect the same minimum standards as those in private rented accommodation?
The question of the Mespil flats is the subject of another separate question.
These regulations would apply to them, it is all rented accommodation. The question is relevant.
Of course they apply, and the benefits of the regulations will apply to tenants of the Mespil flats as to tennants everywhere else but it does not particularly affect the terms of tenure. That is the subject of another question which will be dealt with later. The regulations will come into effect on 1 January 1994 for private rented dwellings and on 1 January 1998 for dwellings let by local authorities. Deficiencies in local authority stock are being dealt with under two headings, the remedial works scheme and the bathrooms sub-programme. Funding under these schemes will total £19.7 million in 1993. Over £84 million has already been spent under the schemes. Returns to the end of 1991 show that a total of about 4,500 dwellings lack a bathroom or shower. Of these 2,300 do not have hot water. Local authorities spend over £80 million annually on the management, maintenance and improvement of their dwellings. The increased amount of money spent to bring all local authority housing up to an acceptable standard can be seen, and this programme will be completed by the end of the programme for Government. Hence the date 1 January 1998.
Question No. 4, please.
Does the Minister intend to extend his privatisation programme to the maintenance of local authority houses——
Deputy Doyle may not ignore the Chair.
