Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

That is factually not the case. In fact, in the original rent pressure zones of Dublin and Cork, and also in the successive waves of rent pressure zones, those short-term lets operating outside of planning law continue to operate outside of planning law. The reason for this - the Minister was not responsible for it - is that Eoghan Murphy did not put any effective enforcement mechanism into the 2019 regulations. Dublin city and Cork city attempted, very valiantly, to enforce the 2019 regulations but, unfortunately, because the burden of proof is so high when one goes into court, which is what ultimately had to happen, they were not able to proceed. Whatever one's view of short-term letting in urban and rural areas is, that has created a situation right across the country where, in the overwhelming majority of cases, short-term lets are operating outside of planning law. It is not a bad idea for the Government to introduce a register, subject to the details. It is not a bad idea for the Government to have a twin-track approach on the planning side by differentiating areas of high housing demand versus areas where there is a requirement for tourist accommodation. I would like to see the details of all of that. In the interim, a change is being made and the Minister seems to be suggesting that, from the day after this Bill passes, he is expecting local authorities to enforce the 2019 short-term letting regulations in the new areas coming under the RPZ rules. That is not possible. They are unenforceable. It would be better if we were just honest with people and dealt with short-term letting through Peter Burke's legislation and the Minister's new planning rules. I am just unclear what the Minister thinks will actually happen in that respect after this Bill passes.

See this speech in context