Minister O’Brien welcomes appointment of new Director of Residential Tenancies Board

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien has welcomed the appointment of Rosemary Steen as the new Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). Ms Steen starts her new role today, 2nd September.

Minister O’Brien said:

“I congratulate Rosemary and wish her well on her appointment as the new Director of the RTB. I would also like to acknowledge the role of Owen Keegan for his contribution as interim Director.

“A well-regulated private rental sector that meets the needs of both tenants and landlords is essential in order to ensure the proper functioning of the housing sector in Ireland. Housing for All is committed to protecting renters while keeping small landlords in the market, and the RTB plays a vital role in ensuring this is achieved.

“Rosemary’s appointment comes at an important time for the agency. We have recently completed a review of the private rented sector, while the latest data shows that the number of private tenancies and landlords registered with the RTB continues to rise. This is why extra staffing levels have been allocated to the RTB to enable them to manage their additional workload.”

“My Department and I look forward to a productive working relationship so that the rental sector operates fairly and effectively for all.”

Bio

Ms Steen joins the RTB after serving as Chief Executive Officer at Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI). Before joining DCCI, Ms Steen was on the leadership team of EirGrid as an Executive Director. She has had a wide range of business experience including working with global companies such as Vodafone and Shell. She also worked for the employers group IBEC, and in that role served on the National Economic and Social Council.

She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin with a degree in Economics and Philosophy and holds a Masters in Business from University College Dublin

ENDS