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Housing Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Questions (360)

Martin Browne

Question:

360. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress being made in relation to the social housing reform agenda as referred to in Parliamentary Question No. 470 of 28 April 2021; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulty that persons on HAP are facing in having issues with their living conditions addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24520/21]

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Written answers

The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these Regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.

Local authorities report to my Department on numbers of overall inspections carried out and enforcement actions undertaken on a quarterly basis. The most recent data received in respect of the number of inspections of all private rental properties and those with HAP tenancies is set out in the table below:

HAP Inspections carried out in 2019

Total Inspections carried out in 2019

HAP On-site Inspections carried out in 2020

Total On-site Inspections carried out in 2020

HAP Virtual Inspections carried out in 2020

Total Virtual Inspections carried out in 2020

23,424

40,728

12,031

24,315

991

1,388

Given the need for inspectors to enter tenants’ homes, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have impacted on the inspection of all rented dwellings – including those with HAP tenancies. The City and County Management Association’s Local Authority Resilience and Recovery Plan for living with Covid-19 (October 2020) and its subsequent Local Authority Services Framework for Future Covid-19 Pandemic Response (January 2021) do not permit rental inspections in Levels 4 and 5. This is in order to protect tenants, landlords and rental inspectors.

In response to the difficulties caused by pandemic restrictions, some local authorities have been piloting virtual inspections. Dublin City Council has led this initiative which entails landlords receiving a checklist for self-assessment and being required to submit photographic/video evidence by email, tenants being invited to raise any non-compliance issues they are aware of and being asked to confirm that any remedial works requested by the local authority have been completed, and the Council reserving the right to conduct a physical on-site inspection when it is safe to do so.

While virtual inspection systems present certain challenges and limitations, they do offer a way of improving the standard of rental accommodation despite the pandemic. I support these initiatives and my Department is encouraging local authorities not already involved in the pilots to consider adopting them. I have committed to providing Exchequer funding for those that do.

My Department is committed to providing adequate housing support to those who need it most i.e. those people who can least afford to meet their accommodation needs from their own resources. The commitments in the Programme for Government are being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda. I expect to be in a position to finalise any changes once the work on these reform measures is complete.

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