Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
714. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many legal disputes that the State has engaged in as a result of an approved housing body going out of business, or any other reason to dispute houses held in their care; and what, if any, are the associated legal costs. [16484/23]
View answerAs provided for in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 (the Act), the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021. AHBRA is an independent body tasked with providing the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purposes of protecting housing assets provided or managed by such bodies.
A central aspect of the statutory framework is the requirement for AHBs to inform AHBRA of changes or events which may have a serious or significant impact on their organisation. These are known as ‘Notifiable Events’. A Notifiable Event is a material, significant, or exceptional issue, event, or change within an organisation. AHBRA has a regulatory interest in such changes or events, as they may have a serious or significant impact on an AHB. In particular circumstances, the Act sets out specific timeframes in which an AHB is required to notify AHBRA. Section 55(3) of the Act makes it an offence to fail to give notice to AHBRA of these events. AHBRA has provided a guidance document for AHBs in this regard which is also available on their website.
My Department has not been party to any legal disputes in relation to houses in the care of approved housing bodies.
