Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024 (the RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private residential rented sector, and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The RTA applies to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to the limited number of exceptions set out in section 3(2) of that Act.

A dispute in relation to whether or not a tenancy is covered by the RTA, including the RPZ rent controls therein, may be referred to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) - www.rtb.ie - for resolution. The RTB can make a determination on whether or not a living arrangement, including a purported licence, is a tenancy under the remit of the RTA.

The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical installations. These Regulations apply to all residential properties let or available for letting. All providers of rented dwellings have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with the standards set down in the Regulations. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations in the private rental sector rests with the relevant local authority.

If a property has been found to be non-compliant with the Regulations, it is a matter for the local authority to determine what action is necessary and appropriate. Under sections 18A and 18B of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992, a housing authority may serve an Improvement Notice or Prohibition Notice, respectively, where a property is found to be non-compliant.

The Government is committed to ensuring that a stock of high quality accommodation is available for those who live in the private rented sector. Housing for All sets a target of 25% for the inspection of all private residential tenancies from 2021. A total of €9 million in Exchequer funding is being made available by my Department to local authorities this year to help them meet their private rental inspection targets. An all-time high of over 63,500 inspections were conducted last year.

Annual data in respect of the level of inspection and enforcement activity by each local authority is available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/da3fe-private-housing-market-statistics/#private-rented-inspections

The operation of the RTA, the residential rental market and standards for rental accommodation are kept under constant review by my Department and the RTB.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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833.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider shortening the timeframe for qualification for the tenant purchase scheme.[34888/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses which are available for sale under the scheme. All applications for the Scheme must satisfy the requirements outlined in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and associated regulations. Changes to the Scheme took effect from 29 January 2024 with the introduction of the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2023.

Amongst the changes were, in the case of joint tenant applications, only one tenant must now be in receipt of social housing supports for at least 10 years in order to qualify, as determined by the local authority in accordance with the rules of the scheme. This is a change from all tenants having to have been in receipt of social housing supports for at least 10 years previously.

My Department monitors schemes on an ongoing basis to ensure that they remain effective and sustainable. However, I can advise that there are no further plans to amend this aspect of the scheme at this time.