Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 February 2024
167. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what legislation is used for rental inspections by contractors of local authorities in terms of criteria of ventilation, etc, and if it is based on the year the property is built. [8405/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra168. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if inspectors of local authorities are using ventilation measurement machines when inspecting homes and, if so, the number of ventilation measurement machines being used by each local authority, in tabular form. [8406/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 168 together.
The minimum standards for rental accommodation are set out in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, natural light, fire safety, ventilation and the safety of gas, oil and electrical installations. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let, regardless of when built.
Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations in the private rental sector rests with the relevant local authority. The specific provisions relating to ventilation are set out in Regulation 8 (1)-(3). My Department does not collate data on the number of moisture meters or other types of equipment being used by local authority rental standards inspectors.
The Government is committed to ensuring that a stock of high quality accommodation is available for those who live in the private rented sector. Housing for All sets a target for the inspection of 25% of all registered private residential tenancies. A total of €9 million in Exchequer funding is being made available by my Department to local authorities this year to help them meet their private rental inspection targets. Provisional figures for last year indicate that local authorities conducted an all-time high of over 63,000 inspections of private rented dwellings, up from circa 49,000 in 2022 and 20,000 in 2021.
My Department has produced a video and leaflet with the aim of educating the general public on the importance of proper ventilation in the home. They are available at the following links:
www.gov.ie/homeventilation
www.gov.ie/aeráiltí
