Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to follow up on a few points, but at this stage Deputy Ó Broin has raised most issues. Every member has had different views on the RTB be it from the point of view of a tenant or a landlord in terms of having had bad experiences and if they have not got the outcome they wished to achieve. It is the case that most landlords see the RTB as the enemy, as opposed to the board taking a more proactive role, which it could do. The challenge for the RTB from a landlord's point of view is to prove that it is there to assist him or her as well; that it is not the enemy but is are part of the solution.

Equally, as we transition from accidental or small landlords to the more commercial landlords, how does Mr. Dunne see the board promoting the interaction with both tenants and landlords? As he said, the entire area has become much more complex and that is causing problems for the accidental or small landlord.

Deputy Ó Broin referred to resources and IT systems. We inquired about that when the legislation was going through. We all know of significant, bad experiences concerning the roll-out of IT in the public sector. We are asking landlords to upload their rents on an annual basis. Equally, we have recruitment problems in the country now. What impact will it have if there are problems with IT and resources?

As a country, we have depended on the small landlord with one or two properties and there seems to be a move to the more commercial operation. According to my understanding, commercial landlords are looking to the higher income level of the rental market rather than the lower and middle income levels. Will that be a challenge in the future if they do not get involved in the lower end of the market?