Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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729. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if all sections of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 have been commenced; if not when remaining sections will be commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50627/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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All sections of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 have been commenced, apart from section 34 which amends section 96 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, in relation to rental accommodation availability agreements. 

The commencement of section 34 is linked to Chapter 4 of Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, relating to rental accommodation arrangements, which has not been commenced to date because its commencement requires that section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, is commenced.

While section 31 of the 2009 Act, which provides for the introduction of a national framework for social housing rents, has not been commenced, considerable work has been carried out by my Department in developing a draft framework for a harmonisation of the approach to be taken by local authorities in regard to various aspects of rent schemes. These proposals were examined further in the light of the broader commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness to review the disparate systems of differential rents for social housing in place across local authorities. I expect that the review will be completed shortly.