Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 397: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of bedsit units currently within the public housing stock and the private housing stock; if he has estimated the cost of compliance in the public and in the private sector of achieving the new standards; when the new standards will come into force; and the length of time which will be given to achieve the transition. [45966/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The 2006 Census enumerates 8,751 bedsits, housing 14,480 people. These figures are not further broken down between the private and public housing sectors. In the Partnership Agreement Towards 2016, the Government committed to updating and more effectively enforcing the minimum standards regulations for the rental sector and recently delivered on this commitment by approving a package of measures. The phasing out of the traditional bedsit will be a consequence of this package. A number of elements of this package require amendments of primary legislation and these are being addressed during the passage, through the Oireachtas, of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008. These include increased penalties for non-compliance and the introduction of a more robust sanctions regime.

Those elements of the package not requiring primary legislation will be introduced through new regulations to replace those made in 1993. Regulations for this purpose will come into effect generally on 1 February 2009. However, certain elements of the new Regulations will not come into effect for existing rental accommodation until 1 February 2013 to allow time for the carrying out of the significant remedial work that may be involved in achieving compliance. The aspects covered by those provisions — sanitary facilities, heating facilities and food preparation, storage and laundry — will therefore continue to be subject to the relevant provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Housing) Regulations 1993 until then, in so far as existing rental accommodation is concerned. However, any rental properties being let for the first time after 1 February 2009 will have to comply with all the requirements of the new Regulations.

My Department engaged widely with a broad range of stakeholders during the process of drafting the new Regulations. As part of this process, a full impact analysis of the new Regulations — including the costs and benefits arising — was carried out in a Regulatory Impact Assessment prepared by the Centre for Housing Research on behalf of my Department. This Regulatory Impact Assessment is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.