Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2015
246. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total fees and expenses paid to each member of the Private Residential Tenancies Board's dispute resolution committee for the period 2012 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6519/15]
View answer247. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the current number of vacancies on the Private Residential Tenancy Board's dispute resolution committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6520/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together.
The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The primary functions of the Board are to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants in the private rented residential sector.
Details on payments made to Dispute Resolution Committee members are available in the PRTB’s annual reports. The annual reports for 2012 and 2013 are available on the PRTB website at http://www.prtb.ie/about-prtb/who-we-are/annual-reports. The 2014 annual report is not yet available.
Section 159 of the Act provides for a Dispute Resolution Committee of up to 40 members including the Chairperson. There are currently 15 members on the Dispute Resolution Committee and the PRTB commenced a competitive process for new appointments to the DRC in 2014. Members of the Committee are appointed by the Board after consultation with the Minister.
The Residential Tenancies Amendment ( No. 2 ) Bill 2012, currently before the Oireachtas, provides that, inter alia, members of the Board may no longer sit on the Dispute Resolution Committee.
