Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

My question for the Minister of State pertains to landlords' use of sham licences to deprive tenants of their rights and the PRTB of its jurisdiction. While certain renting arrangements fall outside the scope of the Act, some landlords use sham licences to circumvent their responsibilities. One such licensing arrangement which I have brought to the Minister of State's attention is advertised on the website of the Irish Property Owners' Association. I ask him the number of tenancies held under licence which should be with the PRTB and whether he agrees that sham licences are problematic in that they deprive tenants of their legal rights.

The PRTB faces an increasing burden of work because it must decide on cases involving contests to these licences. A number of instances have been documented whereby the board has had to decide on this issue. Does a licensed tenancy come within the board's dispute resolution remit and how often has it defeated licence agreements in the District Court? Although the Minister of State may claim the issue has not been brought to his attention, I am sure the PRTB will tell him that a significant problem has arisen. A coach and four can be driven through the legislation by landlords who want to deprive tenants of their rights.

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