788 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to introduce a new national differential rent system for local authority residents in view of the fact that approved housing bodies are at present required to cope with numerous differential rent systems in local authorities; when he will introduce such a system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1361/11]

Regulations and guidelines for housing authorities in relation to differential rent are currently in preparation in my Department. Once section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which provides for rent schemes and charges, has been commenced, housing authorities will have one year in which to put in place a new differential rent scheme. It is expected that the regulations will be in place by the end of the first quarter of this year. While it is not the intention to implement a national standardised differential rent scheme, the regulations to be made will more clearly set out the parameters within which local rents schemes may operate.