COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
QUESTION NO. 9
QUESTION: Councillor E. Ó Broin
To ask the Chief Executive for a report on court proceedings initiated against Council tenants in the Clondalkin LEA in the last 12 months detailing the number, the reasons, the levels of arrears involved by bands of €500, the number of court actions taken for irregular payment, and the outcome of these court proceedings?
REPLY:
The Council initiates legal proceedings against a tenant who has rent arrears only as a last resort and where every other avenue has been attempted to address and rectify a tenant’s rent arrears, has failed. The Council's Rents Team in association with the Housing Welfare Service also work closely with other services and agencies including M.A.B.S. (Money Advice & Budgeting Service), St. Vincent de Paul and Focus Ireland to actively support and encourage Council tenants to address their rent arrears.
In the period 01/01/14 to 30/11/14, 32 Notices to Quit were served on Council tenants from the Clondalkin LEA due to rent arrears. In the same period, 61 cases relating to rent arrears within the area of this Committee were listed in the District Court (including a number of NTQs served in 2013), in respect of which the District Court granted Warrants for Possession in 19 cases, 36 cases were adjourned to 2015 (where tenants had made significant efforts to reduce their arrears) and 5 cases were struck out where tenants had cleared their arrears in full. In the same period only one eviction within area of this Committee was carried out (where NTQ was served in 2013).
The value of the arrears attaching to the NTQs issued is €l43,981.77. The table below provides, as requested banding of arrears in involved.
| € Value in Arrears | |
| > 0 < 500 | 1 |
| > =500 < 1000 | 3 |
| > =1000 < 1500 | 0 |
| > =1500 < 2000 | 5 |
| > =2000 < 2500 | 0 |
| > =2500 < 3000 | 1 |
| > =3000 < 3500 | 4 |
| > =3500 < 4000 | 2 |
| > =4000 < 4500 | 2 |
| > =4500 < 5000 | 4 |
| > =5000 < 5500 | 1 |
| > =5500 < 6000 | 2 |
| > =6000 < 6500 | 1 |
| > =6500 < 7000 | 0 |
| > =7000 < 7500 | 1 |
| > =7500 < 8000 | 0 |
| > =8000 < 8500 | 1 |
| > =8500 < 9000 | 1 |
| > =9000 < 9500 | 0 |
| > =9500 < 10000 | 0 |
| > =10000 < 10500 | 1 |
| > =10500 < 11000 | 0 |
| > =11000 < 11500 | 0 |
| > =11500 < 12000 | 1 |
| > =12000 < 12500 | 0 |
| > =12500 < 13000 | 1 |