Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand the self-catering element of this and the reference to self-catering bed and breakfasts, Airbnbs etc., but the bed and breakfasts to which I referred in my initial question are not self-catering but rather accommodation where people are welcomed into a family home. Further clarity is needed on that.

On the overall legislation, it is a fine balancing act that the Minister's Department and the Department of housing are faced with in terms of getting this right. We are all fully aware of challenges in some of our larger towns, in particular. I refer to Kinsale, where ten terraced houses in a row are all Airbnb or self-catering accommodation. That needs to stop because young people are scrambling for rental accommodation and cannot find it. We need to do something about that. We also need to acknowledge the fact that outside of the traditional bed and breakfasts I spoke about, there are some incredible family-run hospitality businesses that provide self-catering accommodation of the highest quality in a professional manner.

We cannot afford to let them fall by the wayside. We need to ensure a fine balance is struck between the two.

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