Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too am delighted to be able to speak on this important legislation and on the whole sorry and sad saga that has obtained in the private rented sector, as well as in some public or local authority rented areas, over the years. There have been many issues and disputes, as well as all kinds of unsavoury situations arising, with which there has been a failure to deal.

Ar an céad dul síos ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis na daoine i gComhairle Contae Thiobraid Árann Theas, namely, the housing officers and directors and above all, the tenant liaison officers for the tremendous work they have done throughout the county and its towns since I became involved in the county council and certainly for the past 15 years since they were set up. They were the people with their fingers on the pulse and on whom public representatives, both local and national, could count when someone came to one's clinic with all kinds of problems.

It was not a very nice job but it was done without fear or favour. Ms Crowe and Ms Collins in my county had compassion in their actions, achieving good outcomes in mediation through a soft approach in most cases. There will always be a few people one cannot satisfy but in the main the work was very good.

In 2004, a previous Government set up the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB. The Minister of State is introducing this legislation and probably will not heed my call but the board should be closely examined and disbanded. Some 80% of the funding collected is kept for the body itself, with a supposed 20% passed to local authorities to carry out inspections.

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