Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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390. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if section 3 of the Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation (Amendment) Act 2022 has been commenced; the date that it is expected to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54875/22]

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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391. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation (Amendment) Act 2022 in the TRIS process; if it has been withdrawn from the process; the basis on which it was withdrawn; if so, his plans for the short-term rental regulations that were contained in the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54876/22]

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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392. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the level of engagement that his Department has had with the European Commission in 2022 in relation to the regulation of short-term lettings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54877/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 to 392, inclusive, together.

Action 20.4 of the Government's Action Plan on Housing - Housing for All commits to "the development of new regulatory controls requiring short-term and holiday lets to register with Fáilte Ireland with a view to ensuring that houses are used to best effect in areas of housing need”. As an interim measure and pending the establishment of the new Fáilte Ireland registration system for the short-term letting sector, provision was included in section 3 of the Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) aimed at updating and strengthening the pre-existing provisions on short-term letting operated through the planning code.

Under the requirements of EU Directive 2015/1535 on Technical Regulations and Information Society services (the TRIS Directive), Member States are required to notify proposals for technical regulations and rules on goods and services (including information society services such as online platforms) to the EU Commission before they can be brought into effect. This is intended to ensure that there is as much transparency as possible with regard to proposed national initiatives for the establishment of technical regulations with potential impacts on trade, the internal market and the free movement of goods and services.

Further to the TRIS Directive requirements, Ireland notified its proposed interim arrangements for the regulation of the short-term letting sector to the EU Commission on 29 July last following which there was some engagement between the EU Commission and my Department. In the meantime, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media has made good progress in the development of its legislative proposals to underpin the proposed Fáilte Ireland registration system for the short-term letting sector to the extent that at a recent meeting between my colleague, the Minister for that Department and myself, it was agreed to proceed with the progression of that legislation with a view to its early enactment and the associated establishment of the Fáilte Ireland registration system in early 2023.

In light of the foregoing, my Department has withdrawn its notification to the EU Commission of the proposed interim arrangements provided for in the 2022 Act. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media expects to seek Governmental approval for the publication of her legislative proposals in this regard in the coming weeks.