Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the Deputy's concerns but we should acknowledge the practicality of the situation. The PRTB has substantially improved its efficiency in latter years and has introduced new IT systems to deal with its database and tenancy registration. This new deposit protection scheme is a substantial body of work. If one considers the number of deposits of each registered tenant, there is a system behind that to ensure full compliance and proper management of the registration system. It will require additional resources to set it up and procure the necessary support and staffing systems that support all that. In the context of the Government's publication in November of Stabilising Rents, Boosting Supply, as I said to the Deputy previously, sanction for a further five staff to establish the deposit protection scheme and three staff to administer the new rent stability arrangements were secured. Those staff were only recruited recently to deal specifically with the establishment of this new scheme. I assure the Deputy that we will roll it out as soon as is practically possible.

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