Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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660. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the additional resources that local authorities are to receive to ensure adequate levels of inspection of private rented properties to enforce current minimum standards for rental properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31135/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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When a property is let, or available to let, it must comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations. The Regulations specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, fire safety and safety of gas and electrical supply.  Responsibility for enforcement of the regulations is a matter for the relevant local authority.

Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible.

The Government’s Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, sets out a number of actions in relation to standards, with the combined aim of improving the quality and management of rental accommodation.  On 27 January 2017, the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017 were made and came into operation on 1 July 2017. 

The Strategy for the Rental Sector also prioritises strengthening the inspection capacity of local authorities to increase the number and frequency of inspections of rental properties.  In addition to the updated Regulations, procedures for a more efficient, standardised and transparent inspection and enforcement approach across all local authority areas will be introduced. 

Specific ring-fenced funding for inspection and compliance activity will be identified from 2018 onwards and annual targets for both inspection and compliance will be agreed with local authorities. The objective set out in the Strategy is to increase inspection numbers incrementally each year so that, by 2021, 25% of all rental properties are inspected annually.