Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am in favour of the register. I think it makes a lot of sense. It will not make more sense if we do not achieve the housing solution. I get the point but there does not seem to be any evidence backing up that figure of 12,000. I do not think it will be achieved. I think it will fall way short because of the type of short-term letting that exists. Much of what is advertised on Airbnb and Booking.com includes rooms in private homes which, for the most part, will not be made available. When there are festivals such as the Wexford Opera Festival and the Rose of Tralee, people make things available for particular periods of the year. I think that we will see certain changes in urban areas but that this will be devastating for rural and coastal tourism. I am concerned about what is being proposed. The witnesses are not giving me assurances. If they were coming in and saying that their evidence shows that, as a result of this, we will have 12,000 long-term rentals next year, I think I would accept that. Our worry is that we will only get a fraction of that and instead take 12,000 short-term rental units out of the system.