Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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303. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason for the variation between the annual rate of rent inflation for the Greystones and Drogheda local electoral areas for the first, second and third quarters of 2016 reported in the assessment undertaken by the Residential Tenancies Board on rent pressure zones in January 2017 and March 2017 respectively; the figures subsequently reported in the assessment for the same period in the assessment carried out in September 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52557/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to establish whether or not it meets the criteria for designation and to report to the Minister on whether the area should be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone.

On foot of proposals from the Housing Agency, and in accordance with section 24A(2) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended), the Director of the RTB was requested to make a report as to whether the Local Electoral Area of Greystones met the criteria for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone in January and September of this year and whether the Local Electoral Area of Drogheda met the criteria for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone in March and September of this year.

The reports received from the RTB in relation to the designation of rent pressure zones, are available on the website of the RTB at the following link:

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The assessments contained in the Rent Zone Reports are undertaken by the RTB in the performance of their functions under the Act.  Some of the reports state that there may be revisions to the figures in relation to earlier quarters, due to retrospective or late registrations, as all of the RTB rent data is based on tenancy registrations. 

Further details on the RTB Rent Zone Report methodology can be obtained from the RTB.  On the request of the Clerk of the Dáil, arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the provision of information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas.  Following the issue of Circular LG (P) 05/16 on 20 September 2016 from my Department, the RTB have set up a dedicated email address for this purpose atOireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie .