Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 November 2012
166. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the sums being received by local authorities to carry out inspections of compliance with regulations governing standards for private rented accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51799/12]
View answerMinimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. Responsibility for enforcing the regulations rests with the relevant local authority, supported by a dedicated stream of fun ding allocated by my Department from the monies set aside from the registration fees income received under section 137 of the Residential Tenancies Act and held by the Private Rented Tenancies Board (PRTB) in a fiduciary capacity.
A revised Ministerial Direction on 7 July 2010 directed that four-fifths of the proceeds of any fees should be used to defray the expenses of the Board in the performance of its functions and one-fifth should be transferred by the Board to local authorities for the purpose of the performance of their functions under the Housing Acts in relation to private rented accommodation.
The allocations of funding to local authorities increased significantly between 2005 and 2011, rising from €1.5m to €4m and in general local authorities have significantly expanded their inspection activity with the number of inspections more than doubling - from 6,815 in 2005 to 19,820 in 2011. Funding levels are reviewed annually and annual payments at the level of recent years may not be sustainable in the long term unless there is a significant increase in the level of tenancies registered with the PRTB. In 2012 my Department allocated a total sum of €2.4 m to housing authorities for the purpose of carrying out their functions under the Housing Acts in relation to rented accommodation. This brings total funding allocated for this purpose since 2004 to over €26 m.
Details of the amounts paid to each local authority in respect of the years 2004 to 2011 are available on the private rented accommodation section of the Department’s website at www.environ.ie.
