Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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367. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the Private Residential Tenancies Board has the power following a ruling to make a charge to a person's social welfare to make a repayment to a landlord; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11893/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants in this sector. The Act does not make provision for the PRTB to make a charge on a person's social welfare payment in order to make a repayment to a landlord.

Under the Act, enforcement of PRTB orders is a discretionary power and the Board exercises this power taking account of the circumstances pertaining to each case. In many cases the best option, and one which the PRTB facilitates, is for the parties to agree a schedule of payments. However, while there is no legal obligation on the PRTB to enforce, this does not in any way preclude parties from pursuing enforcement independently through the courts including the seeking of a garnishee order.