Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 55: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to merge the National Property Services Regulatory Authority and the Private Residential Tenancies Board into a single property regulatory body under his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25137/09]

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

The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body in September 2004 and has its principal functions in the areas of:

Ø The registration of private rental tenancies;

Ø The resolution of disputes between tenants and landlords;

Ø The provision of information, assistance and advice to the Minister on the private rental sector.

These functions relate to matters which are quite distinct from those that will come within the remit of the proposed National Property Services Regulatory Authority (NPSRA), responsibility for which rests with my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Accordingly, there are no plans to merge the NPSRA and the PRTB. However, under the Government's agency rationalisation programme, the work of the Rent Tribunal is to be merged with that of the PRTB, and I will be giving formal effect to this at the earliest feasible legislative opportunity.