Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If they do get the permission, they will not be captured by the 14 day period, that is to define what short-term letting is for the purposes of a second property.

The Deputy is correct about enforcement. Even though we are changing the planning law now, if someone has established use over a seven year period and can prove that, under our planning laws that is an established use, we cannot go after them for enforcement purposes. We believe that will be a relatively small number in the scheme of things but it is something we cannot change because that seven year period is hardwired into our planning laws. However it speaks to the Deputy's third point which has also been raised by Deputy Casey several times in relation to the effective regulation of this sector.

I am responsible for the planning Acts and can restrict the use of people's properties for short-term letting to get those properties back into use in the traditional rental market.

Since this version of the shared economy is disrupting traditional activities in so many ways when it comes to letting, it needs to be regulated. This is a matter for the tourism authorities because it is a tourism activity. I would have liked to have addressed both aspects at the same time. That has not been possible. I am proceeding with what I can control, namely, the planning Acts. This will be good and we will do some good work but the Deputy is absolutely correct that if rent pressure zones fall away at the end of 2021, the measure in question will fall away also so the then Government will have to choose either to extend the period of application of the zones, in which case the measure will be extended, or to extend the measure in a way that does not link it to rent pressure zones. It is my desire that, by that point, we will have moved to regulate the short-term letting sector as an element of the tourism economy. That is how I see this going. That is where it needs to go and that is what has happened in other countries.