Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 902: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the duties and responsibilities of the director designate of the National Property Services Regulatory Authority in view of the fact that the Authority has not been formally established, no legislation has been published to formally establish it and that the director designate has been in this position since June 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19998/07]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 903: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of resources in terms of staff, assets and funding that has been allocated to the National Property Services Regulatory Authority since its establishment in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19999/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 902 and 903 together.

I can inform the Deputy that the Property Services Regulatory Authority Bill 2007, which will give effect to key recommendations of the Auctioneering/Estate Agency Review Group, including establishment of the Property Services Regulatory Authority to control and regulate the provision of property services provided by auctioneers, estate agents and property management agents is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. Details of the proposed legislation are available on my Department's website at www.justice.ie.

The new legislation proposes fundamental changes to the system of licensing for auctioneers and estate agents and introduces, for the first time, a new licensing system for property management agents. In addition the legislation will provide, also for the first time, a new system of control and regulation for all those providing property services.

Pending enactment of the legislation, a Chief Executive designate has been appointed and an Implementation Group established to assist and advise on practical maters relating to the establishment of the new Authority. The Chief Executive designate, in consultation with the Implementation Group, is currently involved in establishing the basic organisational structures, systems and procedures, necessary to enable the Authority to fully discharge its statutory responsibilities once the legislation has been enacted. As part of this process a number of specific issues, fundamental to the long term functioning of the Authority, have been identified which can be addressed in advance of it being established on a statutory basis. These include the acquisition of accommodation for the Authority in Navan, Co. Meath, the development of a code of practice for the industry, the creation of a National Public Register of Property Services Providers and the development of consumer information packs. To date significant progress has been made in each of these areas.

A total of five permanent staff, who will be relocated to Navan to work with the Authority once it has been established on a statutory basis, have been assigned to work with the Chief Executive designate and a budget of over €0.5m has been made available in this financial year.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 904: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the proposed Property Services Regulatory Authority Bill will be introduced into the Houses of the Oireachtas; the reason for the delay in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20000/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government Legislation Programme published yesterday provides for publication of the Property Services Regulatory Authority Bill in early 2008. This legislation will give effect to key recommendations of the Auctioneering/Estate Agency Review Group, including establishment of the Property Services Regulatory Authority to control and regulate the provision of property services provided by auctioneers, estate agents and property management agents. Details of the proposed legislation are available on my Department's web site (www.justice.ie).

Pending enactment of the legislation, an Implementation Group has been established to assist and advise on practical matters relating to the new body and to prepare for the new licensing system. A Chief Executive designate has also been appointed and is engaged in preparatory work for establishment of the Authority.