Mr. Cian ? Lion?in:

As the Senator said, the important context in this case is that there is now an opportunity due to the European Commission extending the standstill, which will run until 22 December this year. That gives us a further chance for engagement with the committee, stakeholders, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. A key point is the engagement we had with this committee as part of pre-legislative scrutiny. The Department was conscious of the need to balance long-term private rentals with short-term letting, particularly in areas that are most dependent on tourism. While we understand that instinctively, our colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have now absorbed that point. They are currently working on planning guidance for local authorities which, I hope, will give clear direction and guidance to local authorities on how to manage the issue of planning enforcement in areas that are not under a particular housing need but where tourism is a huge part of the local economy. From talking to colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, they are continuing to work on that guidance. The fact that the TRIS process has been pushed back means they can continue to work on it. My Department and the Department dealing with the planning guidelines recently met with stakeholders - I think it was in mid-February. We are open to repeating that discussion, particularly now that we have more time. The key message I would share is that there is a strong awareness of the need to balance housing need and the needs of local tourism economies around the country, while recognising that there is a housing emergency, which is why we are doing this, in the first instance. The point was well made that we must continue to work on that.