Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 December 2017
264. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 256 of 6 December 2017, the recommendations made to Wicklow County Council regarding its inspection and enforcement function; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53351/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraArising from an examination by my Department of Wicklow County Council's procedures and records in respect of private rented inspections, as part of an overall programme of review of local authority procedures in this area, a number of recommendations were made to Wicklow County Council to improve their inspection regime, records management and procedures in undertaking inspections of private rented accommodation.
In summary, the following recommendations were made to Wicklow County Council:
- to develop a private rented inspection programme of activity / policy statement,
- to develop a procedures manual for inspections,
- to identify inspection requirements and balance planned inspections with response-based activity, such as a more proactive, risk-based process to identify properties likely to be non-compliant,
- to develop a communications strategy for all stakeholders to clearly set out the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords and to better inform the public, through its website and information leaflets, about how to make a complaint, and
- to develop procedures to ensure follow-up inspections and enforcement.
