Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 777: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the numbers employed by the Private Residential Tenancies Board; its annual budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27645/06]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 784: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of reports he has received from the Private Residential Tenancies Board on registration of landlords since the enactment of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27652/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 777 and 784 together.

There is currently a total of 43.5 staff working in the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), which also receives support from staff in my Department but is currently in the process of a transition to a fully stand-alone operation. The PRTB has also engaged a panel of 175 mediators and adjudicators to assist with its dispute resolution functions. An increased provision of €3.707 million is available to fund the PRTB's administration and services in 2006, compared with an outturn of €1.737 million in 2005.

Statutory responsibility for the registration of tenancies and the provision of information relating to this and other aspects of the private rented sector rests with the PRTB under the Act. Requests for information relating to the PRTB's business may appropriately be directed to the Board at Canal House, Canal Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. My Department maintains close ongoing contact with the PRTB regarding progress on the implementation generally of the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. An update on the number of registration applications processed by the PRTB is provided to my Department generally on a monthly basis.