Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

323. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason for the long delay in hearings and mediation at the Residential Tenancies Board. [8769/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants and as such, the hearing of disputes is an operational matter for the RTB.

There are statutory time periods laid down in the Residential Tenancies Act to provide for due process.

Following recommendations in the RTB Workforce Plan (2018 – 2021) and engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the RTB received sanction for significant additional staff over the past three years and my Department continues to work with the RTB to ensure it is sufficiently resourced to deliver on its mandate. To this end, additional funding of €2.352M is being provided to the RTB for 2023, bringing its total allocation to €13.370M.

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 set up a dedicated email address for this purpose. The RTB may be contacted at OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie to establish the extent to which it may hold the additional information sought.