Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if additional funds other than those collected by the Private Residential Tenancies Board are allocated by his Department to support local authorities in performing their functions in relation to inspections under the Housing Acts. [14449/08]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the basis for the first tranche of funding allocated to local authorities in 2007; if the funding is based on the number of dwellings inspected in 2006 or on the number of dwellings registered or some other basis. [14444/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 96 together.

My Department provides significant resources from the proceeds of tenancy registrations collected by the Private Residential Tenancies Board, to assist local authorities in discharging their functions under the Housing Acts in relation to private rented accommodation. The provision of additional funding towards the costs involved is a matter for individual local authorities. A sum of €3m has been earmarked for this purpose in respect of 2007, representing a 50% increase on the 2006 funding. The first tranche (€1.5m) of this allocation, which was paid to local authorities in October 2007, was based on the number of registered tenancies in each local authority area at 31 August 2007 and inspection targets for 2007, as reported by local authorities. The second tranche (€1.5m) of this funding will issue shortly to local authorities based on their inspection outturns for 2007.