Dáil debates

Wednesday, 31 January 2018

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

Private Rented Accommodation Standards

10:40 am

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. In The Irish Timestoday, Jack Power has a very good article listing a range of properties which are being advertised this week on a variety of social media websites primarily targeting foreign language students and migrant workers, although the substandard accommodation issues do not only occur in those sections of the rental market. I recommend strongly that the Minister also considers in the context of forthcoming legislation making it a criminal offence for online platforms to advertise properties which clearly breach regulations. That would not only put the onus on the Residential Tenancies Board but also on www.myhome.ieor www.daft.ieto be compliant and prevent their platforms being used to advertise properties which the photographs submitted clearly show are substandard. That would also strengthen the regulations. I urge the Minister to bring forward this legislation to committee as quickly as possible. It is important this is got right because there are, unfortunately, far too many individuals and families out there living in overpriced substandard accommodation. If everyone in the House wants to tackle that, the sooner the legislation is here, the sooner we can give tenants and the law-abiding landlords being undercut by such practices the support they deserve.

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