Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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245. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to address the 3.4% increase in average national rent prices between January and March this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27914/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The latest RTB/ESRI Rent Index in respect of Q4 2024 was published on 15 May. The Rent Index is designed to measure developments in rental prices faced by those taking up new tenancies and existing tenancies. The Rent Index report is the most accurate and authoritative rent report of its kind on the private rental sector in Ireland.

Compared to other market monitoring reports produced for the Irish rental sector, the RTB/ESRI Rent Index is based on regulatory data covering all new tenancy registrations regardless of how the property was advertised.

Based on the latest Rent Index, the standardised national average rent for new tenancies rose by 5.5% annually to €1,680 in Q4 2024, which is a decrease of 0.9% from Q3 2024, and well below the much higher levels of rental inflation one year ago. Rents in existing tenancies grew by 4.6 % in the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease in rental inflation from one year ago also (5.9%).

While the latest Q1 2025 Daft.ie rental report indicates that asking market rents rose by an average of 3.4% in the first three months of 2025 and 7.3% annually it should be noted that there is consistently a variance between the Daft.ie index of asking rents and the RTB rent index of actual rents paid in new tenancies. For instance, there was a variance of 15% between asking rent prices on Daft and the RTB Rent Index average new rents in Q4 2024.

Following a recommendation made in a review of the Irish private rental sector published by my Department in 2024, the Housing Agency was commissioned to undertake a review of the current system of rent controls using Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs). This review has been submitted to my Department and I am considering the report and intend to bring proposals to Government shortly.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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246. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to reform the rent pressure zones in order to address high rent prices and supply shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27915/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to my reply to Question No. 81 of 15 May 2025 which sets out the position in this matter.