Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Ms Walsh for her presentation, which was forwarded to members last week. The manner in which Ms Walsh carried out her wide ranging duties in the District Court system is commendable. It would appear that her skills set is a fit for what is required in this new role. I wish to signal that I will not be present to hear the answers to my questions, but I will be able to consult the record later.

The advancements made in the registrations systems are welcome and the system appears to be running quite smoothly. The format to achieve a resolution to disputes has been addressed. The representations that I receive on a regular basis are from landlords and not from tenants. Landlords express their frustrations at the length of time they must engage in the process and the powers to enforce decisions seem limited, but perhaps I am wrong in that regard. I hope that Ms Walsh will appear before us following a period of six months in office and then give us her feedback on how legislation might be improved to address the concerns about the resolution of disputes.

The voluntary housing sector will be coming under the remit of the Private Residential Tenancies Board. It has now been confirmed that the registrations costs will not be an issue for those bodies. Ms Walsh placed the emphasis on the administration of the Private Residential Tenancies Board being cost neutral, which is commendable, but if this results in citizens being let down by virtue of cost, we need to know, and should the necessary improvements cost money, the funds should be sought from Government.