Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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201. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated amount spent in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021 on the inspection and enforcement of private rental standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38766/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Strategy for the Rental Sector sets out a series of measures to be introduced to ensure the quality of private rental accommodation by strengthening the applicable standards and improving the inspection and enforcement systems.

The Strategy recognises the need for additional resources to be provided to local authorities to aid increased inspections of properties and ensure greater compliance with the Regulations. Increased funding was made available each year since 2018 to enable local authorities build inspection capacity incrementally, with payments based on the number of inspections undertaken. Significant progress was made across the sector. The number of inspections more than doubled from 19,645 in 2017 to 40,728 in 2019.

€6 million of Exchequer funding was made available to local authorities in 2020 and €10 million in 2021. However, pandemic restrictions have severely impacted on inspection activity since March 2020. In response to the pandemic some local authorities have been piloting virtual inspections and my Department is encouraging and supporting this initiative by providing Exchequer funding to those that are participating.

The table below sets out the amount spent in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021 in respect of the inspection and enforcement of private rental standards:

Inspection data in respect of Q2 2021 has been requested from local authorities and payments in respect of this period will issue in due course.

Future funding will be considered as part of the normal estimates budgeting process with the aim of maintaining my Department’s subvention to local authorities at levels which assist them in meeting their inspection targets.