Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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29. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on the increase in the percentage of housing owned by private landlords and the consequences for security of tenure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35423/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The rental market in Ireland has grown significantly in recent years. According to the most recent Census data available, almost one-fifth of the population lives in the rental sector and there are now over 324,000 tenancies registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). In publishing the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government has set out a practical and readily implementable set of actions to create a functioning and sustainable housing system. The Plan is available at the website www.rebuildingireland.ie.

The Plan is divided into five pillars, with each targeting a specific area of the housing system for attention.

Pillar 4 of the Plan commits to developing a comprehensive strategy for the rental sector. The strategy will be structured around 4 key areas: security, standards, supply and services. My Department has just completed a public consultation process, and has received a number of submissions from a wide range of stakeholders, which will contribute to shaping the strategy.

In developing the strategy, all key measures to promote long-term tenancies and provide for increased security of tenure will be explored. One of the specific measures that will fall to be considered under the heading of security is the scope for a move to indefinite leases, replacing the Part 4 four-year tenancy, along with measures which might encourage landlords to waive their right to terminate a tenancy in the event of the sale of the property.

Some of the measures in the rental strategy may require supporting amendments to be made to the Residential Tenancies Act. However, other legislative changes are being accelerated for early introduction in the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016, the debate on which commenced in the Seanad yesterday. The Bill includes measures to prevent a future recurrence of situations where large numbers of residents in a single development are simultaneously served with termination notices, together with other early actions to enhance the Residential Tenancies Board’s (RTB) enforcement and dispute resolution powers. Tenants and landlords alike will therefore see a number of improvements on foot of this legislation .

The overarching objective of the strategy will be to increase supply and support the development of a stable, strong and viable rental sector offering true choice for households, investment opportunities for providers and reflecting the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords.