Minister O’Sullivan Publishes Legislation to Significantly Reform Landlord and Tenant Law

The Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan T.D., has today (19 July, 2012) published the Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2012 which will see:

• Those tenancies in the voluntary and cooperative housing sector that most closely parallel private rented tenancies being regulated under the Act
• The agency responsible for regulation of the tenant-landlord relationship, the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), being re-named as the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
• Formal effect given to the merger of the Rent Tribunal with the Residential Tenancies Board
• A reduction in the size of the Board, from 15 to 12 members
• Measures to increase the take-up of mediation as a key dispute resolution mechanism

Minister O’Sullivan said that the Bill “represents a significant reform of the residential tenant-landlord regulatory environment” and indicated that she hopes that some other significant policy issues, on which she has committed to action, will be addressed later in the Bill’s progress through the Oireachtas.

“This legislation will further improve our system of tenant-landlord regulation.  The measures that promote mediation in dispute resolution are particularly welcome.  I firmly believe that mediation can give people in a dispute a speedy, effective way to resolve issues.  The extension of the registration requirement to a large number of voluntary housing tenancies is also a major development.  It is the first step in a process that will see statutory regulation of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector in the coming years.  This will bring greater transparency and accountability to this important sector that is playing an increasingly active role in social housing provision,” said Minister O’Sullivan.

The Programme for Government commits to the creation of a deposit protection scheme to address the issue of illegal retention of tenants’ deposits. The Minister is awaiting the outcomes of Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) commissioned research on this matter in Autumn 2012 and will, at that point, consider how best to address the research findings in the context of this Bill.

The Minister is also determined to address the issue of non-payment of rent by tenants who remain in situ and she confirmed that an amendment to address the matter is currently being drafted and will be ready in time for consideration when the Bill is presented to the Oireachtas.

The Bill will now go before the Dáil and Seanad, commencing in Autumn 2012, and it is publicly available on the Oireachtas website,  www.oireachtas.ie

FOILSÍONN AN tAIRE O’SULLIVAN REACHTAÍOCHT CHUN AN DLÍ UM THIARNAÍ TALÚN AGUS TIONÓNTAÍ A ATHCHÓIRIÚ

Cuimseoidh an Bille um Thionóntachtaí Cónaithe (Leasú)(Uimh.2) 2012, atá foilsithe inniu (19 Iúil, 2012) ag an Aire Tithíochta & Pleanála, Jan O’Sullivan T.D.:

• Tionóntachtaí san earnáil thithíochta dheonach agus chomhoibríoch atá is mó cosúil le tionóntachtaí san earnáil phríobháideach ar cíos a rialú de réir na hAchta
• An ghníomhaireacht atá freagrach as rialú an chomhchaidrimh idir tiarnaí talún agus tionóntaí, an Bord um Thionóntachtaí Cónaithe Príobháideacha (an PRTB) a athainmniú mar an  Bord um Thionóntachtaí Cónaithe (an RTB)
• Éifeacht fhoirmiúil a thabhairt don chumasc idir an Bínse Cíosa agus an Bord um Thionóntachtaí Cónaithe (RTB)
• Méid an Bhoird a laghdú, ó 15 ball go dtí 12 ball
• Bearta chun úsáid idirghabhála a mhéadú  mar mhodh chun díospóidí a réiteach

Dúirt an tAire O’Sullivan gur “athchóiriú suntasach ar an timpeallacht rialála do thiarnaí talún agus do thionóntaí san earnáil chónaithe phríobháideach” é an Bille seo agus thug sí le fios go bhfuil sí ag súil le tabhairt faoi ceisteanna móra polasaithe eile, ar a bhfuil gníomhaíocht tiomnaithe aici, le linn dul chun cinn an Bhille tríd an Oireachtais.

“Feabhsóidh an reachtaíocht seo arís ár gcóras rialála do thiarnaí talún agus tionóntaí. Tá fáilte faoi leith roimh na bearta chun cur le húsáid ar idirghabháil chun díospóidí a réiteach. Creidim go docht go dtugann idirghabháil bealach sciopaidh, éifeachtach do dhaoine atá sáinithe in díospóid ceisteanna a shocrú. Is forbairt mhór í freisin an síneadh ar an riachtanas clárúcháin chuig móramh na dtionóntachtaí san earnáil thithíocht dheonach. Is í seo an chéad chéim ar an mbóthar chuig córas reachtúil rialála don earnáil sin sna blianta atá romhainn. Tabharfaidh é seo trédhearcacht agus cuntasacht chuig an earnáil thábhachtach seo atá ag comhlíonadh ról níos gníomhaí ó thaobh tithíocht shóisialta a sholáthar de”, arsa an tAire O’Sullivan.

Tiomnaíonn an Clár Rialtais do scéim cosanta éarlaise a chruthú ar mhaithe le díriú isteach ar choinneáil mhídhleathach ar éarlaisí tionóntaí. Tá an tAire ag fanacht ar thorthaí taighde, i bhFómhar 2012, atá coimisiúnaithe ag an mBord um Thionóntachtaí Cónaithe Príobháideacha (an PRTB) ar an ábhar seo agus machnóidh sí ansin conas is fearr tabhairt faoi na torthaí sin i gcomhthéacs an Bhille seo.

Tá an tAire meáite freisin ar aghaidh a thabhairt ar neamhíocaíocht ar chíos ag tionóntaí a fhanann in situ agus dheimhnigh sí go bhfuiltear faoi láthair ag ullmhú leasú chun tabhairt faoi é seo, leasú a bhéas réidh nuair a bronntar an Bille ar an Oireachtas.

Rachfaidh an Bille anois os comhair na Dála agus an tSeanaid, i bhFómhar 2012, agus tá sé ar fáil go poiblí ar shuíomh idirlíne an Oireachtais www.oireachtas.ie