Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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74. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when he plans to bring forward the legislative changes to the rental sector as indicated in budget 2019; the additional resources that will be provided to the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, to operate these new powers; and if a review will be conducted of the rent pressure zone measures. [47150/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Earlier this year, the Government approved the priority drafting of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill. The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel with a view to publication during the current Oireachtas session. The Bill intends to strengthen further the effectiveness of the rent setting and rent review laws by empowering the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to:

- investigate any contravention of the law regarding the 4% rent increase limits in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) and to take enforcement action, if necessary, including the imposition of sanctions on landlords in breach; and

- initiate an investigation without the need for a complaint to be made.

Last year, my Department conducted a review of the Rent Predictability Measure on the basis of RTB rent data and a public consultation on the operation of the Rent Pressure Zones. The review findings have informed the framing of the Bill and the implementation of a change plan to develop and strengthen the role of the RTB, particularly with regard to enforcement.

Budget 2019 provides an additional provision of €4.6 million, an increase of 67%, in funding to further resource and develop the RTB's capacity to implement tenancy law, expanding its overall role and function as part of a multiannual change management programme, and to expand the rental inspections programme by local authorities. A Project Board has been established to drive the development and implementation of the change management plan.

My Department works closely with the RTB on an ongoing basis and will continue to do so in order to ensure that it is sufficiently resourced throughout this change process.