Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The amendment relates to section 12 in connection with the registration of tenancies. I will also speak briefly to related Government and Opposition amendments in the grouping.

Section 12 amends section 134 of the Act of 2004 to require landlords to register their tenants on an annual basis with the RTB. The aim is to gather accurate and detailed tenancy and rental data on an annual basis. The key provision in amendment No. 73 requires that a tenancy related to student-specific accommodation commencing during the first three months of the application of the Act of 2004 to that sector must be registered with the RTB within four months of the tenancy's commencement. Thereafter, registration will be required within one month of the commencement of the tenancy on a similar basis to all other tenancies under the Act. The amendment is provided to facilitate the smooth integration of the student-specific accommodation sector into the RTB registration system. Amendment No. 73 is the key amendment and amendments Nos. 75 and 76 are consequential and technical in nature.

Amendment No. 74 proposes to delete the timeframe of "within 1 month from each anniversary of the date of the commencement of the tenancy" for the purposes of annual tenancy registration obligations. I cannot accept this amendment. Annual registration must be timely and this timeframe corresponds with the timeframe for registration of a tenancy within one month of its commencement.