Ms M?ire N? Mhurch?:

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gcoiste as ucht an gcuireadh teacht os a chomhair. Tá an ISCF ar an bhfód le 21 bliain anuas chun tacú le slite bheatha go díreach le Let's Go Self-Catering agus chun oideas a chur ar fáil do na baill, atá a formhór ina ngrúpaí beaga aonaracha faoin tuaithe. In Ireland, we have no clear data at the moment on the number of short-term tourism lets. I can explain that later if members wish. The ISCF has called for a register for short-term tourism lets since 2019. We sat in front of a committee here in 2019, asking for the same. The only thing I can reference is Scotland, which has a register with 16,949 self-catering housing units. It sees 3.4 million visitors per year and it is worth £723 million.

RPZs were introduced in 2019 in Dublin urban areas only, but have since spread to 50 electoral areas. It is a significant worry in the sector that self-catering owners will not get planning permission in these areas under the existing legislation. In fact, as I found out, it is 2016 legislation they are working under in planning. At the launch of the register, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media stated 12,000 self-catering units would be closed. We have estimated that the financial loss of such rental income would be €27 million per annum to rural economies.

A register for self-catering is essential for the development of the sector. The foundation of the general scheme is flawed because of the reliance on the Department Housing, Local Government and Heritage providing a workable planning solution. The guidelines for planners and owners of short-term rental in RPZs have not yet been provided despite a year of talks by the ISCF with the Department. The general scheme calls for all short-term rental in urban and rural areas to have a commercial licence whatever the age of the property. In rural areas, there should be no need for planning permission. Self-catering accommodation businesses that have operated in the tourism space for seven years or more should be allowed to trade, as should families who have diversified their farm or family income. We want the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to come back with concrete proposals at the next round-table meeting that will support the tourism development and allow the register for a short-term tourism letting to be enacted. For those who wish to set up new self-catering businesses, there needs to be a reasonable cost in pre-planning research when they are in the process of doing so. The proposed legislation will cause many second homes to lie empty in rural Ireland, drive the sector to be managed from outside the EU and provide little additional urban housing.

Building more homes is the solution to our housing crisis. I ask Members not to punish rural families whose incomes are drawn from their short-term rentals. I thank the committee for the opportunity to make a statement.