Property Services Regulatory Authority makes ‘some progress’ on complaints backlog

Geraldine Clarke

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan launched the PSRA’s annual report for 2017 at the National Ploughing Championships yesterday.

The report states: “Despite ongoing challenges with regard to available resources … some progress was made on reducing the backlog of complaints cases, mainly by dealing with a large number of complaints which have been concluded without the need for an investigation.”

A total of 1,205 (76 per cent) complaints received from 2012 until the end of 2017 were concluded without a requirement for the appointment of an inspector to conduct an investigation, compared with 862 (67 per cent) of cases in 2016.

The most common reason for declining to investigate a complaint was because the subject matter of the complaint did not fall within the definition of “improper conduct” specified in the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011.

There were 296 open cases at the end of 2017, or 19 per cent of the total received, compared with 334 at the end of 2016, some 26 per cent of the total received at that point.

Mr Flanagan said: “I recognise the important role the PSRA plays in regulating and supporting property service professionals. The sector has developed significantly since its establishment and the consequent introduction of regulation, licensing and standards. And in its work it has made great strides in protecting the interests of service providers, of consumers and indeed of the country as a whole.”

Geraldine Clarke, chairperson of the PSRA, added: “2017 was another very productive year for the Authority in maintaining and further developing standards in the property services sector.”