Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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362. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he accepts that the requirement to sell with tenants in situ significantly reduces the market value of rental properties in developments such as Sirius Wharf; and whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment of this provision. [49763/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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371. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware that 53 families in Sirius Wharf, Cobh, will face eviction notices by February 2026 as landlords exit the rental market; and the emergency provisions that will be put in place locally to prevent homelessness in this case. [49760/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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372. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has assessed the impact of the March 2026 legislation, which prevents landlords with more than three units from selling with vacant possession, on the supply of rental properties in Cobh and in Cork city and county. [49761/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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373. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the specific measures being planned for Cobh to protect families facing eviction as a result of the March 2026 legislation. [49765/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 362, 371, 372 and 373 together.

The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2025 (the RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the RTA to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.

Section 34 of the RTA provides that a landlord must state a reason for termination in any Part 4 tenancy termination notice (NoT) served and the termination will not be valid unless it is copied to the RTB and the stated reason relates to one or more of the following:

· the tenant has failed to comply with the tenant obligations (other than the obligation to pay rent) in relation to the tenancy;

· the tenant has failed to comply with the obligation to pay rent under the tenancy;

· the dwelling is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the occupying household;

· the landlord intends to sell the dwelling within the next 9 months;

· the landlord requires the dwelling for own or family member occupation;

· vacant possession is required for substantial refurbishment of the dwelling; and/or

· the landlord intends to change the use of the dwelling.

Where there is a question as to the validity of a Notice of Termination, a dispute may be referred to the RTB under Part 6 of the Acts - please see www.rtb.ie for information on the RTB's dispute resolution service.

The dispute resolution service provided by the RTB is quasi-judicial and all of its mediators, adjudicators and tribunal members have independent decision-making powers, in the same way as judges have in the courts. A determination order made on foot of a mediation agreement or an adjudication can be appealed to a RTB Tenancy Tribunal. A decision of a Tribunal may be appealed on a point of law to the High Court.

Due to the quasi-judicial nature of the RTB, it would be inappropriate for me as Minister, or this Department to provide legal advice, comment on, or to intervene in the specifics of any individual case.

In line with a commitment in Housing for All, a review of the Private Rental Market was undertaken by my Department and published in July 2024. One of its recommendations was that a comprehensive examination of the current RPZ system should be undertaken. The key focus of the review, which was undertaken by the Housing Agency, was to assess the operation of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) since their introduction and consider their impact on the market and relevant stakeholders, including the retention of landlords and new investment. It was also to consider whether RPZs should continue without change or be removed, modified or replaced.

On 10 June 2025, the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections for new tenancies created (i.e. first time tenancy between parties) from 1 March 2026. Legislation is being prepared and will be published later this year to give effect to these policy measures. Further information is available here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/press-releases/government-to-introduce-major-reforms-to-the-rental-sector/.

The new measures have been informed by the findings of the Housing Agency Review of Rent Pressure Zones and Potential Policy Options and its preferred recommendation to modify the existing operation of the current RPZ rent controls. The report can be accessed here: www.housingagency.ie/publications/review-rent-pressure-zones-report.

In order to boost the supply of homes available for rent, the Government approved modifications to rent controls, to come into effect on 1 March 2026. The changes will provide significantly stronger tenancy protections and are finely balanced between the interests of tenants and the need for further private investment in the rental market across the country.

Section 35A of the RTA (known as the ‘Tyrrelstown amendment’) provides that where a landlord proposes to sell 10 or more units within a single development at the same time, that sale is subject to the existing tenants remaining in situ, other than in exceptional circumstances. The ‘Tyrrelstown amendment’ was carefully drafted to promote security of tenure in the interest of the common social good. The provision strikes a balance, between a landlord’s right to sell their property and achieve fair return on their investment, and a tenant’s right to security of tenure. The commercial reality is that there is generally a lower market value for a property sold with tenants in situ.

The proposed legislative amendments from 1 March 2026 will further strengthen security of tenure for tenants and will be balanced by the new right for landlords to re-set a rent to market value upon the commencement of a new tenancy created (i.e. first time tenancy between parties) on or after 1 March 2026, provided the most recent previous tenancy (if any) was not terminated via a no fault eviction.