Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I had an opportunity to attend a meeting last night, which was organised by a group of people who were concerned about proposals for legislation that is being drafted to look at the registration by Fáilte Ireland of small Airbnb facilities that are dotted throughout the country. There is, somehow, a belief that this action will put 1,200 properties back into long-term rental. Nothing could be further from the truth. The county I come from, County Clare, has very many small units, such as granny flats attached to homes, yurts, cabins and pods in the back gardens of homes, that are rented out for a very short period of time over the summer months. It helps provide accommodation for tourists at a time when hotels are overbooked. The notion of somehow bringing these facilities into a registration process is farcical. It will not have a positive effect on the housing crisis and, more likely, it will discourage these people from utilising an asset that is generating a little bit of income. We need a bit of common sense to prevail here. I call for a debate in the House.

I will also raise the issue of the cost of electricity. We all grappled with it, as the international price of gas spiralled out of control as a result of the war in Ukraine. When gas prices on international markets jumped out of all proportion and electricity prices skyrocketed almost in step with that action, the State quickly brought in supports to assist families and homeowners over the past 12 months.There has been a significant drop in international gas prices. What are the electricity companies doing but telling us it is going to take maybe another year before they will be able to get in line with international gas prices. This did not happen when the price was going up; now they are trying to maximise profits as prices are going down. I suspect they are doing so because there is still another €200 allowance to be paid to homeowners in March. The electricity companies are gaming the system. We should have a debate on this matter at the earliest possible opportunity.