Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
2684. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the working group on rental standards; the budget allocation, target setting and performance monitoring for each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33666/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, set out a series of measures to be introduced to ensure the quality of private rental accommodation by strengthening the applicable standards and improving the inspection and enforcement systems.
The Rental Strategy recognises the need for additional resources to be provided to local authorities to aid increased inspections of properties and ensure greater compliance with the Regulations. Provision has been made for an additional €2.5m funding in 2018, with the intention of providing further increases each year in the period to 2021 to facilitate a targeted inspection coverage of 25% of rental properties annually.
My Department is engaging with the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), the City and County Management Association (CCMA) and individual local authorities to agree annual targets and to develop and implement best practice and standardisation of approaches across the sector. Ring-fenced funding and annual targets for inspection and compliance will be identified from 2018 onwards in agreement with local authorities.
My Department wrote to each Chief Executive earlier this year, outlining the reforms and improvements envisioned for rental properties under the Strategy, as well as annual inspection targets and requested each local authority to prepare an implementation plan to achieve these, including details in terms of staffing, resource and other needs that will be required to deliver these targets.
Individual LA Implementation Plans have now been received and are currently being examined, prior to engaging directly with the local authorities concerned with a view to finalising the plans and assisting with implementation and delivery.
An overarching Working Group on Rental Standards has been established with a further 3 sub-groups envisaged to make recommendations on the specific areas of Human Resources, Training and ICT.
