Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2021
192. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenants who have requested protection through the Residential Tenancies Board due to Covid-19 impacts on their financial status; the number of eviction notices issued in Cork city in 2021; and the number of tenants who have moved from HAP to long-term housing in tabular form. [34267/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
The Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 set out new protections for tenants who fall into rent arrears, and as a result, are at risk of losing their tenancy. In the 10-month period between August 2020 and the end of May 2021 , 475 tenants sent a self-declaration to the RTB indicating that they were unable to pay their rent as a result of the impact of Covid-19.
With regard to the number of eviction notices issued in Cork City in 2021, my Department does not collect the data sought, however the Clerk of the Dáil requested that arrangements be put in place to facilitate the provision of information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas. Following the issue of Circular LG (P)05/16 on 20 September 2016 from my Department, the RTB set up a dedicated email address for this purpose. The RTB may be contacted at OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie to establish the extent to which it may hold the information sought.
While my Department does not hold information on the number of HAP tenancies that have moved to long-term housing, data is available in relation to the number of tenancies that moved from HAP to other forms of social housing support. A total of 300 HAP tenancies have transferred to other forms of social housing in Cork City since the scheme began, of which 38 relate to Q1, 2021.
