Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2023
101. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider making County Cavan a rent pressure zone due to the rapid increase in rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32742/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 24A of the Residential Tenancies Act provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to me, as Minister, that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ). Following receipt of such a proposal, I, as Minister, request the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to establish whether or not it meets the criteria for designation and to report to me on whether the area should be designated as a RPZ.
• The criteria to be satisfied by an area under section 24A(4) of the Acts for designation as an RPZ are as follows:
• the information relating to the area, as determined by reference to the information used to compile each RTB Rent Index quarterly report, shows that the annual rate of increase in the average amount of rent for that area is more than 7% in each of at least 4 of the 6 quarters preceding the period immediately prior to the date of the Housing Agency's proposal, and
• the average rent for the area in the last quarter, as determined by reference to the information used to compile each RTB Rent Index quarterly report, is –
• in the case of counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow or a local electoral area (LEA) in any one of those counties, above the average rent in the State, excluding rents in the 4 Dublin Local Authority areas, or
• in the case of any LEA outside of the Greater Dublin Area (i.e. Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow), above the average rent in the State excluding rents in the Greater Dublin Area.
Each RTB quarterly Rent Index Report includes a table of the data used to establish whether each LEA fulfils the criteria for designation as a RPZ.
The data from the Rent Index Report for Q4 2022 relating to the local authority area of County Cavan is detailed in the table below:
|
Local Authority (LA) |
Quarters >7% |
2022 Q4 |
|
Cavan |
6 |
€916.12 |
The Housing Agency and the RTB continue to monitor national rents and if any LEA in County Cavan meets the designation criteria, it will be designated as a RPZ through the process outlined above.
I also would like to draw your attention to the thorough review of the private rental sector which is currently underway in my Department. This will ascertain what an improved fully functioning private rental sector should look like in the long term, and members of the public are now being invited to participate in the comprehensive review. This delivers on an undertaking given in a Housing for All Action Plan Update (www.gov.ie/en/publication/da0d1-action-plan-update-and-q3-2022-progress-report/) from November 2022.
The review will take into account the significant regulatory changes over the past several years in the residential rental market. It will draw conclusions on how our housing system can be enhanced to provide an efficient, affordable, viable, safe, and secure framework for both landlords and tenants. The Government will act on the review’s recommendations.
A central aspect of the review is targeted engagement with various stakeholders and direct public input via a public consultation process - further details are available at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/consultation/ea0ea-public-consultation-review-of-the-private-residential-rental-sector/ .
