Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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111. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the approved housing bodies regulatory authority will be formally established; the reason for the delay; the oversight and enforcement powers the regulator will be given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4920/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 was signed in to law on 23 December 2019. This Act will establish the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority to oversee the effective governance, financial management and performance of all voluntary and co-operative housing bodies.

Substantial preparatory work has been ongoing to ensure that once the body is formally established, it has the necessary resources in place to carry out its functions in line with the Act. Following a competition held by the Public Appointments Service, a Chief Executive Designate was appointed on 1 December 2020. A separate campaign was held to recruit members of the Regulator (i.e. the Board). It is anticipated that the body will be formally established in the coming weeks.

As set out in the Act, the functions of the Regulator shall be to:

a. establish and maintain a register of AHBs,

b. register persons as AHBs,

c. prepare draft standards for approval by the Minister under section 37 and publish the approved standards,

d. monitor and assess compliance by AHBs with this Act, in particular the approved standards,

e. carry out investigations under Part 5,

f. under Part 6, protect tenants and AHBs and cancel the registration of AHBs,

g. encourage and facilitate the better governance, administration and management, including corporate governance and financial management, of AHBs by the provision of such information and advice, in such form and manner, as the Regulator considers appropriate,

h. with a view to promoting awareness and understanding of this Act, make available such information as appears to the Regulator to be expedient to give to the public about the operation of this Act, in such form and manner, as the Regulator considers appropriate,

i. collect such information concerning AHBs as the Regulator considers necessary and appropriate for the purposes of the performance of the Regulator’s functions, and

j. publish such information (including statistical information) concerning AHBs as the Regulator considers appropriate.