Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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156. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the specific actions introduced as per the statement within the Programme for Government to strengthen the regulatory and enforcement mechanisms with regard to short-term lettings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28947/21]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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163. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the plans to improve regulation of short-term lets that are under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28999/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 163 together.

The Programme for Government - Our Shared Futureincludes the specific action to strengthen the regulatory and enforcement mechanisms with regard to short-term letting, and the ongoing approach in this regard is currently being considered. However, as some elements of potential regulation of the short-term letting market fall outside the remit of my Department, I have been in contact with my colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media on this matter. Meetings have taken place at senior official level between the two Departments, which have also involved the participation of Fáilte Ireland, to explore the possibilities of developing new proposals in relation to the regulation of the short-term letting sector.

Further meetings at official level are scheduled in the coming weeks after which it is hoped to submit a Memorandum for Government on this matter in due course.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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157. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of short-term let properties operating in rent pressure zones without the appropriate permissions identified by the local authorities and brought back to the long-term rental market since the relevant amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) in 2019, by local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28948/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department requests extensive Short-Term Letting (STL) data returns from local authorities on a quarterly basis. Amongst the information requested is the total number of properties identified as potentially in breach of the STL regulations and therefore requiring further consideration. However, local authorities are not required to identify and report on the number of short-term lets returned to the long-term rental market.

Notwithstanding this, my Department has recently requested local authorities to provide statistics for the number of cases which have been satisfactorily resolved (to end Q1 2021); this might be through registration of properties with the relevant local authority, compliance with planning, or ceasing of STL operations.

The table below outlines the information requested in those terms but not all local authorities have provided updated returns. My Department is following up with the relevant local authorities regarding outstanding returns. It should be noted that the figures for the total number of properties identified as potentially in breach of STL regulations are cumulative and may include properties that were identified in multiple quarterly returns.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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158. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the engagement local authorities with rent pressure zones have had with his Department in relation to short-term letting regulations detailing any concerns raised including within the Covid-19 pandemic context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28949/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department requests extensive Short-Term Letting (STL) data returns from local authorities on a quarterly basis. These returns include extensive statistics regarding the enforcement and implementation of the STL Regulations and feedback on the impact of Covid-19 in this regard.

Amongst the issues raised in these returns are the effect that Covid-19 has had on the ability of local authorities to investigate properties due to restrictions, as well as the number of properties which have ceased, at least temporarily, to engage in STL as a result of the pandemic.

Some issues regarding the general enforcement of the short-term letting legislation have also been raised and my Department is engaging with the relevant local authorities in this regard.