Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

I have read back over previous discussions when the principal officer, Ms Niamh Maguire, appeared before this committee. She was asked about the change of use application and she said that her understanding was that if somebody has existing planning permission granted for a property, and there are existing records on file such as architect's drawings, those records still stand for change of use applications. However, she was later asked by Deputy Dolan about the definition of a "change of use". Basically, she said that a change of use would be commercial, as the witnesses mentioned, which was news to some of us. It is still not specified. Let us take Ms Cahill's example of the 85-year-olds who always come back on holidays. If they do not let a house out, especially during the winter, it is going to go mouldy and is not going to be pristine. One can see the logic of doing it but should they have to then say that they are a commercial business? Ms Cronin-Falvey gave the example of a property that might be used by family members at different times. The owners could block it off for three months and then put it back out again. It is earning an income but it is not a business in the sense of being commercial and year round. Ms Piner's situation is different. She experienced the vagaries of the planning process before these rules came in but it is a forewarning of what is coming for everyone else.

I thank Mr. Redmond for mentioning it because I was about to suggest that either the Minister for housing or the principal officer of the Department should come before this committee because they have put the cart before the horse here. How can Fáilte Ireland and the tourism sector in general make any recommendations regarding registration when the registration is totally dependent on planning, which has not been decided yet? It is bureaucracy gone mad. It is trying to smash a nut with a sledgehammer and it is putting the cart before the horse. We are talking around issues here. We have had several meetings on this but we do not know exactly what we are talking about. Have we an opportunity to change the planning? Have the witnesses anything to add to that?