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

The recent correspondence to local authorities did not instruct them to do that. It clarified the position arrived at as a result of recent planning permissions and our recent history and informed them of some of the work that is ongoing. I am in favour of home-sharing, but home-sharing must mean home-sharing. It is a very important part of our economy at present and helps people to meet their mortgage repayments or other financial challenges they may have. However, in allowing it to happen as home-sharing, we must ensure that it is indeed home-sharing and is not taking significant stock out of the supply of homes, out of longer-term supply and into shorter-term lettings.

I have reviewed at a high level the report of the Oireachtas joint committee. It is a very good report with some very sound recommendations. If one considers best international practice and some of the things that have happened in other jurisdictions, again, they have looked at the 90-days-without-permission provision and the licensing arrangements, some of which are facilitated through the different platforms involved - for example, Airbnb. They have gone with a kind of "one host, one home" policy as well, which makes a lot of sense. I am considering the report of the Oireachtas joint committee. Again, there are some very good proposals in it. What we wanted to do, before the working group could complete its work and while it was still working on a memorandum of understanding with companies like Airbnb, was to make sure that the local authorities had the guidance in place before we then looked to see what we might do about a licensing system. I will consider the Oireachtas joint committee's report as guidance and will consider what has happened in other jurisdictions.

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