Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1590. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the work of the short-term letting working group; the number of meetings held by the group; the number of meetings held with third parties; the organisations and individuals in this regard; and when he will bring forward regulations or legislation on the issue of short term lets. [16087/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Under Action 18 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, my Department established a Working Group in June 2017, with representatives of all major public stakeholders with a policy interest in short-term lettings, to develop guidance in relation to planning applications, changes of use relating to short-term lettings and to examine the need for new regulatory arrangements.   

The proposals under consideration by the Working Group, which has met on six occasions to date, are aimed at facilitating short-term letting of accommodation within permanent residences, known as home-sharing, while protecting existing stock of residential property in areas of high demand, safeguarding neighbourhood amenity and consumer protection, and generating revenue to address any negative externalities of short-term letting.

The Working Group completed guidance for local authorities on planning applications relating to short-term lettings and my Department issued a circular on the matter last October.

The Group is now focused on developing proposals for an appropriate comprehensive regulatory approach for short-term tourism-related lettings as well as identification of amendments to relevant legislation that may be necessary to give effect to such a regulatory regime.

The report of the Working Group has been submitted to my Department and, following completing my consideration of its recommendations shortly, I will be initiating a targeted public consultation on the proposals.