Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is good. It is fine if the Government is doing that but it is wrong if that is being used to increase the take.

Perhaps I am missing something in section 38, which states, "The use of a house or part of a house situated in a rent pressure zone for short term letting purposes is a material change in use of the house or part thereof, as the case may be." The definition of short-term letting is described as, "the letting of a house or part of a house for any period not exceeding 14 days, and includes a licence that permits the licensee to enter and reside in the house or part thereof for any such period in consideration of the making by any person (whether or not the licensee) of a payment or payments to the licensor".

I fully understand that is supposed to get at Airbnb. However, Senator Humphreys and I know of modest people who live on Serpentine Avenue and take in lodgers for the horse show and things like that.