Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the actions he has taken since the recently highlighted low and acceptable housing standards for private rental tenants in receipt of the rent supplement; the communication he has had with local authorities on the matter; the way he will ensure that such breaches of standards do not continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14356/08]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the many thousands of people who are living in sub-standard accommodation paid for by rent supplement; the date on which the new standards for rented accommodation will be completed; and if he has plans to ensure that these measures will be fast-tracked into law to provide effective safeguards for those who are already in serious need of adequate housing. [14498/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 116 together.

While responsibility for enforcement of the private rented accommodation standards, as prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993, rests with the relevant local authority, I am committed to ensuring that a robust framework is in place to promote improved standards in this part of the residential sector. The significantly increased resources I am providing to support inspections by local authorities is one example of my commitment to addressing issues of sub-standard private rented accommodation and is translating into significantly increased enforcement activity on the ground. I have also taken a number of opportunities, when meeting local authorities, to emphasise the high priority that must be assigned to effective action in this area.

The revision of the standards regulations is an important element of An Action Programme to Promote Improvement in Standards, which was launched on foot of the Towards 2016 agreement. A general review of the regulations has been carried out, in consultation with relevant interests, and account has been taken of relevant recommendations in two reports recently published by the Centre for Housing Research on measures to promote improvement in private rented accommodation standards.

I am establishing a small working group comprising local authority and sectoral representatives to input into the final drafting of the revised regulations. Following a short further period of consultation, I intend to finalise the new regulations in July.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. This is a major issue, with 60,000 families in receipt of rent supplement. The vast majority of accommodation, particularly in Dublin, fails to meet the minimum legal standard, basically as regards water standards, heating and ventilation. There is mould growing on some walls and ceilings and only recently "Prime Time" broadcast a major special programme on just how bad conditions are.

According to the State-funded report published by the Centre for Housing Research, sub-standard accommodation is most prevalent in this rented sector. Basically, 78% of all private rented accommodation in Dublin failed the standard test, 49% in Clare and 56% in Louth. When will the Minister of State get real on this issue? I welcome the fact that he has issued a memo and that there is to be a working group. However, can we now have some action and impose heavy penalties on the landlords responsible for these properties.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The issues brought to light by the "Prime Time" programme were of great concern to all of us. However, it must be remembered that the issues the programme raised were on the basis of rent supplement, which is the remit of the Department of Social and Family Affairs and is operated by community welfare officers. Before the programme was broadcast I was very aware of people going into the rented accommodation scheme. We built in the region of 700,000 units in the past ten years and 100,000 were taken up by the rented sector. Therefore the standards under rented accommodation are excellent and obviously we are encouraging more and more. We want to take 32,000 people off the rent supplement and put them into rent accommodation by 2009, and we are progressing in that direction.

In relation to community welfare officers and rent supplement, I am concerned that people are engaged in a desktop activity in this regard. I met the director of community care six weeks ago and told him I was not happy with the standard of accommodation. I asked that there should be further discussions between the HSE and the Department on setting protocols which would review matters on the ground. If, for instance, a local authority examines a property with a view to bringing someone into rented accommodation after 18 months and if it is not up to scratch, this should be reported to the community welfare office. In the event, the community welfare office will then identify the property concerned as not being suitable for rent supplement purposes. We are making progress in this regard.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Given today's launch of the Green Paper on Local Government, one hopes the primary outcome of local government reform will be an improvement of standards at local level. If we consider the Minister of State's track record in this regard, we will realise it has been an abysmal failure. Is he aware that only one inspection took place in his own area of Cork, where over 9,000 houses were registered in 2006? Is this acceptable in his own bailiwick in Cork? In Cork city in my constituency, where approximately 6,000 houses were registered in 2006, 780 houses were inspected, half of which failed. The houses that failed, which were featured on a "Prime Time Investigates" programme, were not inspected at a later date.

When I raised this matter on 23 February prior to the "Prime Time Investigates" programme, the Minister gave a completely disingenuous answer in the House to the effect that inspection rates had actually increased. They have not. What the Minister of State did was focus on the narrow context of inspection rate increases from one year to another. However, the registration rate in the two years in question grew several-fold and the inspection rate collapsed to 7%. It is therefore a nonsense for the Minister of State to claim in this Chamber that the inspection rates are 33% and 44% when in fact they have collapsed.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As usual, the Deputy is misinformed.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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I have the figures from the Minister of State's Department in front of me.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Allow the Minister of State to continue.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The fact of the matter is that, in 2004, there were 25,000 registrations. Since the setting up of the PRTB, 210,000 registrations took place. Figures for 2007 will show a 40% increase and that there has been an increase from 13,000 to almost 14,000.

On the houses that are not up to standard, I refer the Deputy to a report issued by the Centre for Housing Research last year. Of all the rented accommodation that was inspected, 1% was not up to standard.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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It is not 1% of what was examined.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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There was no follow-up inspection and in some areas there was no inspection carried out whatsoever.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I have taken action to ensure that local authorities do get involved in this.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy obviously forgot that I mentioned to him on the last occasion that I am giving money to local authorities on the basis of performance on inspection.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I want to allow one supplementary question.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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If they want to get money out of the rental accommodation scheme, they will have to carry out inspections. That is the way forward as far as I am concerned.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I call Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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It will ensure that local authorities do carry them out.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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On a point of order——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will come back to the Deputy. I call Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister of State agree that the scheme is subsidising private landlords? As such, the State should insist on the best possible standards. Some 48,000 families are in homes that are not of the highest standard, yet the State is paying for the scheme. What action will the Minister of State take to prosecute landlords for ripping the State off, as is happening? What extra inspections will be carried out to ensure that the landlords of sub-standard dwellings will no longer be allowed to receive State subsidies?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Before I call the Minister of State, I will allow a brief supplementary question from Deputy Ciarán Lynch.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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I have the Department's figures from 2004 to 2006. They show clearly that the number of registered dwellings increased from 22,000 in 2004 to 132,000 in 2006. The inspection rate to which the Minister of State is referring does not add up. Figures show that the inspection rate has dropped from 32% to 7.4%. For every house registered, the Exchequer receives €50 from the PRTB. Given that there is a revenue stream from the PRTB, it is not the Department that is ring-fencing the fund. The Minister of State should not therefore brag that he is providing money to allow for inspections because the money is actually coming from landlords themselves who want their properties inspected.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The important thing is that the Deputy understands the system. He obviously does not.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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The important thing is that——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Allow the Minister of State to conclude his reply.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The fact is that if one refers to PRTB registrations alone, one will find that they increased by 44% between 2005 and 2006, and by 40% between 2006 and 2007. I have ensured that local authorities that carry out inspections are being rewarded. Those that are not——

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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If there was one inspection in Cork in 2006 and two in 2007, that would represent an increase of 100%.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The time allocated for questions has concluded.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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——are not getting funding to carry out the inspections. On Deputy Ó Snodaigh's question——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That concludes Question Time for today.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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——on rent supplement, I indicated that I will contact the HSE on this matter. I have indicated that——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Will the Minister of State kindly acknowledge the Chair?

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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——any supplement given is given to a property that meets the required standard.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That concludes Question Time for today.