Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to come back in on some of the issues that were raised, specifically in relation to pillar 1. A statistic was referred to that it is hoped to have 700 families out of commercial hotels by June this year. I would have some reservations as to how that will be achieved. One of the issues I would like to focus on is the Airbnb situation, specifically in Dublin. What processes have been put in place or directions given to local authorities to try to address the Airbnb situation, based on An Bord Pleanála's decision that anyone using a property for Airbnb on a long-term basis should have a change of use for the purposes of planning regulations? It has been identified that more than 1,500 properties are available in Dublin on Airbnb over a 50 week period in any year. These are homes that people could be living in. Equally, the federation has identified that 10% of the hotel stock is being taken up for local authority use within the Dublin area. It is a reversal of what should be happening. Tourists or business travellers should be staying in the hotel environment and families should be living in homes. I think that greater emphasis should be put on this now to try to address the situation.

I am slightly confused about the rapid build modular houses and whether they are specifically for homeless people. It was my understanding that we were looking at rapid build modular technology as the way forward in delivering social housing, and I think it was meant for anybody, not just for homeless people. If we restrict it to homeless people, we are actually saying that this is an inferior product. If we believe in modular building technology, in fairness to the people who are involved in the industry, the whole modular building concept is a way of moving this industry forward. Even from the employee's point of view, who has a regular place of work to go to on a daily basis to carry out their work, from child care and everything else, it is a lot easier manage their lifestyle balance.

To clarify, my questions concern the issue of families staying in commercial hotels, Airbnb and the rapid builds.