Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 15 October 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (Resumed)

3:00 pm

Ms Rosemary Steen:

We welcome the committee's support for the residential tendencies Bill, which includes this data sharing aspect with Revenue. It is incredibly important to us as an organisation that this aspect progresses as quickly as possible and that the matter of giving us the power to inspect be considered as part of the amendments which might be brought forward. We want to ensure we do that through engagement with all of the relevant policy and stakeholder bodies. Communications campaigns can bring us to a certain point. If the expectation is for us to act in terms of full compliance, however, we need the tools to bring that about. I am very determined to do all that I can with the powers I have. The committee has heard me speak to that earlier. It is my position, as director, that everyone who should be registered is registered. We welcome the issue of giving some additional powers in the context of being able to manage potential queries or outstanding reports. There are exceptional situations, in our view, that require an inspection.