Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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190. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there is an obligation on approved housing bodies to conduct virtual property inspections at the request of a local authority in order to comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019; and if so, if he will outline the legislative basis for this requirement. [57150/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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All landlords, including Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.

There is no legal obligation to conduct virtual inspections, however a number of local authorities piloted the use of virtual inspections during the Covid pandemic, given the public health restrictions then in place. Since on-site inspections recommenced in July 2021, a number of local authorities have continued to incorporate virtual inspections into their wider inspection regime and they are conducted where deemed appropriate.

Co-operation with virtual inspections is not currently mandatory under existing legislation. However, local authorities work on a collaborative basis with AHBs to ensure that such inspections are carried out in a manner and at a time that works for all concerned including of course the tenants.

As set out in Housing for All, I envisage virtual inspections playing an important supporting role to the traditional on-site inspection regime. The aim is to ensure that renters can be assured of the highest possible quality accommodation in the rental market sector.