Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 27 Feb 2003

Vol. 562 No. 3

Written Answers - Private Rented Accommodation.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

223 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 486 of 18 February 2003, if the information furnished in her reply is all the information furnished to her by the CSO on which her decision to cap rent allowance was based; if not, if she will furnish all such information and place a copy in the Oireachtas Library; if her Department sought or was given a breakdown on changes in rent on a regional basis; if so, if she will provide such information; if she has information on changes in the median rent; if so, if she will provide such information; if her Department sought or was given a breakdown on rent changes in the first quartile of rents; if so, if she will provide such information; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6074/03]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

The data supplied in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 486 which I answered on 18 February 2003 was the only data supplied by the Central Statistics Office in relation to rent levels in the private rented sector. A breakdown of the data on a regional basis was not sought.

The data supplied covered the period from February 1997 to October 2002. The Deputy may be interested to know that an update of the data in question to cover the period to January 2003 shows a further decrease in the rent levels in the private rented sector. A copy of the updated data is shown in the following tabular statement.

Analysis of rent levels in the private rented sector – source Central Statistics Office.

Privately Owned Rent Index

Period	Index: Base = 100 inMid December 2001	Quarterly% Change
Feb 97 – Apr 97	68.0
May 97 – Jul 97	68.1	0.15
Aug 97 – Oct 97	68.7	0.88
Nov 97 – Jan 98	69.5	1.16
Feb 98 – Apr 98	70.3	1.15
May 98 – Jul 98	71.9	2.28
Aug 98 – Oct 98	73.1	1.67
Nov 98 – Jan 99	74.1	1.37
Feb 99 – Apr 99	75.0	1.21
May 99 – Jul 99	75.9	1.20
Aug 99 – Oct 99	77.0	1.45
Nov 99 – Jan 00	78.2	1.56
Feb 00 – Apr 00	80.4	2.81
May 00 – Jul 00	83.4	3.73
Aug 00 – Oct 00	86.2	3.36
Nov 00 – Jan 01	90.9	5.45
Feb 01 – Apr 01	93.1	2.42
May 01 – Jul 01	97.2	4.40
Aug 01 – Oct 01	98.9	1.75

Period	Index: Base = 100 inMid December 2001	Quarterly% Change
Nov 01 – Jan 02	100.0	1.11
Feb 02 – Apr 02	100.3	0.30
May 02 – Jul 02	99.3	1.00
Aug 02 – Oct 02	98.8	0.50
Nov 02 – Jan 03	98.0	0.80