Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this important matter. This is an area of particular interest to him. I acknowledge his work and that of the members of the joint Oireachtas committee on tourism on this specific matter.As a former member of that committee, I know it is important that we get clarity in respect of it.

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. The proposed short-term letting and tourism Bill will provide the statutory basis for the establishment of a register for short-term lets in Ireland and for the implementation of the new EU short-term rental regulation, which was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024. The Minister intends to bring the revised general scheme of the short-term letting and tourism Bill to Government for approval shortly. She will then proceed with drafting the Bill. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is also engaged with the European Commission on the draft legislation under the notification requirements of the technical regulations information system, TRIS, directive. As part of the TRIS process, the general scheme of the short-term letting and tourism Bill, once approved by Government, will be sent to the EU Commission. This will enable the TRIS process to be concluded.

The Government's housing policy, Housing for All, includes the objective of making more efficient use of existing housing. One of the actions to achieve this is the development of a new regulatory control requiring short-term lettings to be registered with Fáilte Ireland, with a view to ensuring that houses are used to best effect in areas of housing need. While the short-term letting tourism Bill is not specifically targeted at reducing the number of short-term let properties in Ireland, it will provide a framework within which planning authorities can identify short-term let properties that are operating without the appropriate planning permission. Planning authorities will then be better able to adjudicate, in the context of local housing need, how applications for change of use planning permission will be dealt with.

The Minister is aware that there are concerns regarding the impact on rural tourism, as outlined by Senator Malcolm Byrne, and local economies of the removal of a significant cohort of short-term let properties from the tourism and other short-term letting markets. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media statement of strategy includes the goal of supporting the recovery and economic growth of a competitive tourism sector that is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.

The critical piece in balancing local housing and tourism needs will be planning guidelines, which are under the development of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The guidelines aim to provide the necessary clarity to the short-term let sector and how planning authorities will implement the planning requirements around short-term let properties. The Department will be publishing those guidelines in alignment with the publication of the short-term letting and tourism Bill. The sectoral concerns about the possible impact on rural tourism will be assessed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in the planning guidelines. The introduction of the register will provide an accurate record of all short-term letting stock across the country. Property owners operating in the sector will be allowed a period of six months from the launch of the short-term letting register to check the status of their short-term letting unit and, where required, apply for change of use planning permission from their local authority. Those who avail of the six-month clarification period will receive a valid short-term letting registration number, which will allow them to advertise the property from the launch of the register while the planning status is being clarified.

From a tourism perspective, the proposed short-term letting and tourism Bill will allow Fáilte Ireland, for the first time, to have a full picture of tourism accommodation across the State, significantly enhancing its ability to promote and drive tourism investment.

The Minister looks forward to working with the Senator and the Oireachtas committee to progress the legislation, to ensure the sustainable development of tourism and to contribute to the better use of existing housing for the common good.