Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

This raised staffing level will help significantly with the administrative work relating to the processing of dispute cases.

While there is much road to be travelled, there have been verifiable improvements in workload processing in the PRTB. For example, 516 determination orders issued in 2008 compared to 400 in 2007. Processing time for tenancy registration has been reduced significantly in the past year and there has been an expansion in the range of activities.

Due to the nature and complexity of the Act, one element of the board's remit is to assess the functioning of the PRTB and of the Act itself and to make suggestions for improvements to the original legislation. This review is ongoing and a number of notable legislative changes to the Act have been proposed to my Department by the board. I hope to take a significant number of those suggestions on board as part of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008. Some relevant amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act were debated on Committee Stage in the Seanad late last year. I hope to table a number of other related amendments on Committee Stage in this House. I commend the Bill to the House.

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