asked the Minister for the Environment if he is satisfied that the law requiring the registration of private landlords is being complied with.

Housing authorities are empowered to make bye-laws under section 70 of the Housing Act, 1966, relating to private rented housing accommodation. Model bye-laws circulated by my Department to the authorities provide for the registration with the authorities of the owners of rented houses in which there are more than two dwellings. The making of bye-laws in all cases is subject to confirmation by me. To date, a total of 39 housing authorities have adopted the bye-laws. Where bye-laws are in operation the enforcement of the bye-laws is a matter for the housing authority.

All housing authorities were requested by my Department in November last to furnish information relating to the registration of landlords and dwellings. Returns have not yet been received from all the authorities. Pending the receipt of the outstanding returns and the examination of all the returns, it is not possible for me to say if the law relating to the registration of certain landlords is being complied with generally.

Might I ask the Minister, arising out of the last question and the supplementaries by various Deputies, if in respect of the Dublin area he could give us any idea of the level of registration by landlords?

I have not got that information readily available.

Surely if the Minister is concerned, as he says he is, with this problem, one of the most important things he could do is to find out what is the present position in the Dublin area, because the people being exploited are generally young people looking for houses. There is also a considerable amount of tax evasion arising out of this question. Therefore, it is a matter of great urgency from the Minister's point of view.