Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On the €200 rebate, it is something I was not aware of and I will try to get clarification on that. As the Senator is aware, the rebate was introduced on a blanket scale to try to get money out to people as quickly as possible. I know it was criticised in that regard, but it was the most effective and quickest way to do that. We will find out about the specific issue of people with Airbnb properties. That is something we need to clarify.

I wholeheartedly agree with the Senator. We would love to bring this legislation forward more quickly, but it has to go through a process and it is critically important to get this right. The Senator is correct in saying that 60 properties in Kinsale is far too many to be in short-term letting and not available for letting on a longer-term basis. That has an impact on the vibrancy of the town centre, which is contrary to the Town Centre First policy. It is an issue for people working in Kinsale. It is an area of high tourism demand and a lot of people working in the services sector would love to be able to rent in the locality. In that regard, it is critically important that the legislation addresses that in as timely a manner as possible.