Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 446: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount collected by the Private Residential Tenancies Board in 2006 from the registration of tenancies; the amount allocated to each local authority to support their functions in relation to housing regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43019/08]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 454: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount collected by the Private Residential Tenancies Board in 2007 from the registration of tenancies; the amount allocated to local authorities to support their functions in relation to housing regulations; the amount allocated to each local authority under the second tranche of funding in respect of 2007 inspection activity; the funding allocated to each local authority for inspection activity to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42302/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Question Nos. 446 and 454 together.

In 2006 and 2007, the amounts collected by the Private Residential Tenancies Board in fees associated with the registration of tenancies were €5,995,772 and €6,156,749, respectively. The purposes for which such fees are utilised include the provision of financial support to assist local authorities in discharging their functions under the Housing Acts in relation to private rented accommodation. The total amount of funding paid to local authorities for this purpose has been increased significantly in recent years, from €2,025,896 in 2006 to €3,010,756 in 2007, with a total of €4m being provided in respect of 2008 inspection activity. The amounts paid to each local authority in respect of 2006, 2007 and the first funding tranche for 2008 are set out in the following table.

Until 2006, funding provided to local authorities for this purpose was based on the number of registered tenancies in each local authority area. However, since then, the allocation of funding has been increasingly linked to inspections performance as reported by each local authority in their returns for my Department's Annual Housing Statistics Bulletin. In 2008, 60% of the first tranche payment was made on the basis of each local authority's inspections targets for the year with the remaining 40% based on the number of registered tenancies within each local authority area on 30 June 2008. The second tranche of funding for 2008, which will issue in early 2009, will be based on actual inspection performance as reported by each local authority.

The significantly increased funding being made available to local authorities for inspection activity, and the increasingly performance-linked basis for allocations, are contributing significantly to a much improved inspections regime. In 2007, more than 14,000 inspections were carried out by local authorities, an increase of 40% compared to 2006.