Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures in place to ensure that local authorities comply with the guidelines set out in the Good Practice Guidelines for Local Authorities on Standards in the Private Rented Sector, Strategic Planning, Effective Enforcement. [20785/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 1993. Responsibility for enforcing the regulations rests with the relevant local authority, supported by a dedicated stream of funding allocated by my Department.

As part of the Action Plan to promote improvement in standards of private rented accommodation, my Department requested the Centre for Housing Research to undertake a study of measures to promote improvements in these standards and develop good practice guidelines to assist housing authorities in their functions relating to the private rented sector. Two reports — the first entitled Good Practice in Housing Management: Guidelines for Local Authorities, the second Promoting Improved Standards in the Private Rented Sector: Review of Policy and Practice — were published by the Centre in late 2007 and were launched by my predecessor at the Housing Practitioners' Conference in November 2007.

Copies of these reports were circulated by the Centre for Housing Research to a wide range of relevant bodies including local authorities. As set out in the reports, it is a matter for each local authority, having regard to its particular situation, to decide on its own approach to the recommendations contained in these reports.

Relevant recommendations from the reports are also being taken into account in the review of the regulations relating to the standards for private rented accommodation, which is currently underway. I expect to be publishing revised regulations in July.

In addition, my Department is providing significantly increased funds from the proceeds of tenancy registration fees to support local authorities in their inspection functions relating to the private rented sector. Over €7m has been provided to local authorities for this purpose since 2004, and I expect to provide further increased resources in respect of 2008, linked to actual inspection performance.