Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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474. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department has examined the decision by An Bord Pleanála (details supplied); if he has an estimated time when the decision will be made; and his plans to provide statutory planning guidelines to ensure consistency of approach in this area [41456/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I understand the Deputy is referring to a recent determination by An Bord Pleanála in relation to a particular case (reference number RL3490) that the exclusive use of a residential apartment for short-term holiday lettings is considered to be development under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and is not exempted development. The effect of the Board's determination is that planning permission for a material change of use of the apartment concerned is required.

My Department has, by way of Circular letter PL12/2016 of 22 December 2016, brought this determination to the attention of all planning authorities to ensure that they are aware of:

- the grounds on which the Board reached its decision,

- the planning implications in terms of the requirement for such commercial use of residential units to be the subject of an application for planning permission, and

- the importance of a proactive approach to planning enforcement generally in this regard.

A copy of the Circular letter is available on my Department's website at the following link:

The implications of this case have raised a number of regulatory and other related issues, such as tax liability, residential tenancy regulation, support for tourism, and planning. With a view to providing full clarity regarding the appropriate regulatory approach to be adopted by relevant statutory authorities in relation to short-term tourism-related lettings, and as provided for in the recently published Strategy for the Rental Sector under Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, my Department intends to establish a working group, comprising representatives of relevant stakeholders including local authorities, relevant Departments, public bodies and other interests in the area, to consider the disparate issues involved and report by the Summer.