Written answers
Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Residential Tenancies Board Data
Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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765. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of staff directly employed by the RTB; the way in which this compares to each of the years 2014 to 2016; the additional functions which have been added; the resources which were provided with additional functions; the additional resources the RTB sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39373/17]
Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The RTB currently has 49 staff which include a number of secondees from other civil/public service bodies. The following table sets out staffing numbers from 2014 up to the current position i.e. September 2017:
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 (September) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 34 | 40 | 49 |
Demand for the RTB’s services has increased significantly due to the increasing size of the rental sector and also because of the changing regulatory structure. Furthermore, a number of additional functions have been added to the remit of the RTB since 2014, including:
- implementation of new Rent Certainty Measures, such as the introduction of Rent Pressure Zones and associated on-going analysis,
- increased engagement with the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Sector,
- integration of Rent Tribunal functions into the RTB,
- introduction of Free Mediation Services,
- operation of a voluntary Landlord Accreditation Scheme,
- establishment of one-person Tribunals,
- increased Education/Awareness and research role, and
- consideration and analysis in respect of a Deposit Protection Scheme.
In relation to its requests for additional resources, the following table sets out recent requests made by the RTB:
| Year | Additional Resources Sought | Additional Resources Sanctioned |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Sanction requested for 9 additional posts, 5 of which were temporary contract positions. | 9 additional posts |
| 2015 | Sanction requested for 8 additional posts and to make 5 temporary contract positions permanent positions. | 8 additional posts, 5 temporary contract positions were made permanent |
| 2016 | Sanction requested for 1 additional post. | 1 additional post |
| 2017 | Sanction requested for 10.5 additional posts. | 10.5 additional posts |
The RTB has 13 vacancies at present and recruitment is ongoing in order to fill these vacancies as quickly as possible.
In 2012, the RTB awarded a contract, outsourcing its call-centre activities and the processing of paper registrations. This has allowed the Board to focus on its dispute resolution functions. There are currently 35 people employed on the RTB account by the outsourced service provider.
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