A working group to examine the proposed merger of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) and the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) was established in July 2012, and chaired by my Department (Mr. Cian Ó Lionáin, Principal Officer) with representation from my Department, the Department of Justice and Law Reform, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the two bodies in question.
The group commenced activity with the circulation of detailed briefing papers on the two bodies. On 10 September 2012, the group met to consider those papers and all issues pertaining to the proposed merger. A draft report was subsequently prepared and was the subject of further correspondence until, on 16 October 2012, my Department submitted a final report on behalf of the working group to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The report recommended against a merger of the PRTB and the PSRA on the basis that a merger would be likely to give rise to additional costs and to have a significant negative impact on the delivery of both bodies’ core activities. Notwithstanding this, my Department will continue to engage with the PRTB and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to achieve further efficiencies in the operation of the Board.
