Vol. 525 No. 1
149 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will respond to the concerns of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 20 regarding rented accommodation and the indexing of rent to the CPI. [23673/00]
158 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will address the concerns of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 20 in private rented accom modation regarding minimum space requirement per tenant and the first time home buyer's grant. [23786/00]
I propose taking Questions Nos. 149 and 158 together.
The report of the commission on the private rented residential sector, published on 27 July 2000, considers in detail the merits and impact of various forms of rent control, including indexation to a factor such as the CPI. There was unanimous agreement within the commission that it would not be appropriate to recommend the introduction of a comprehensive form of rent control. The commission considered the appropriate rent to be the open market rate and recommended that rent reviews should occur no more frequently than once yearly, unless there has been a substantial improvement in the property in the interim. I intend to bring proposals to Government for implementation of the commission's report in the very near future.
With regard to setting down minimum space requirements for rented accommodation, I do not think that this would be appropriate at present. Landlords currently rent units on the basis of a number of considerations, including the size of a particular unit and how many occupants it can reasonably accommodate. Obviously rented accommodation varies in quality, size and location and landlords rent and charge accordingly. Legislation is already in place to deal with overcrowding. Under section 65 of the Housing Act, 1966, local authorities are empowered to require owners to desist from causing or permitting overcrowding. If any tenant feels his or her accommodation is overcrowded, he or she should notify the relevant authority who can investigate and take whatever action is appropriate.
Finally, in relation to the first-time buyers' grant, I have no proposals to increase the level of grant at present, as any increase would, in current market circumstances, be likely to be absorbed in higher prices. The question of tax relief in respect of rent paid is a matter for the Minister for Finance.
