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

Our approach with this is that we have the stronger class A penalty applying under the new section 148S if someone obstructs the work of a Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, authorised officer in carrying out an investigation, but for the new section 19 offences, a class B offence is the approach that has been taken. That gives the potential for imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine up to €4,000 or both. If, after the summary conviction, the offence continues, a further offence is committed under the Residential Tenancies Acts on each day that such action or inaction continues. The class E fine applies then for each of the further offences. We believed that was proportional in using class A in the new section on obstruction of an RTB authorised officer's investigation and class B where an offence was committed under the new section 19 offences.