Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is a set of amendments that I support in principle but I require a number of clarifications, if the Minister of State does not mind. I am confused as to how this new set of regulations, the existing planning requirements and the future Fáilte Ireland registration or licensing process will interact. Will the Minister of State talk us through whether the planning requirements as currently exist under what I call the Eoghan Murphy regulations will continue to exist or if they will they be replaced by the Fáilte Ireland registration requirement? If it is the latter, how does a local authority determine whether a property should be a short-term or a long-term let? While there are huge inadequacies with the enforcement of the previous set of regulations, there is a value in a planning authority being able to make a decision in terms of whether a property should get the change of use or not. If the Minister of State will talk us through that, that is very important.

The second thing is, why six months? Does that imply that, if and when Fáilte Ireland has its registration process in place, there will not be a sanction on platforms for advertising properties that are not compliant with the new rules? Will the Minister of State clarify that for us as well?

Also, in regard to the timelines, to be clear, when does the Minister of State expect this legal obligation on platforms to take effect? When can the local authority I presume, actually start cleaning up the act? I was quite appalled by the Airbnb statement I read in the newspapers the other day.

It has been facilitating law-breaking for a number of years. During Covid, many properties went out for short-term let, but it has been knowingly and willingly advertising properties that do not have either appropriate exemption or planning permission. It has been profiting from it and it is doing it now. It is important, whatever the Government does here, that it is clear when it starts so that we can all monitor to ensure Airbnb cleans up its act and stops facilitating illegal planning.

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