Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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142. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) concerning the rental market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5558/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 ("the Regulations") which came into effect on 1 July 2019.

In essence, the legislation requires home-sharers letting rooms in their principal private residence located within a RPZ, or letting the entire property subject to a maximum of 90 days per annum within such an area, to register with their local authority. Persons letting properties in an RPZ which are not their principal private residence are required to apply for change of use planning permission unless the property already has a specific planning permission to be used for tourism or short-term letting purposes.

Notwithstanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, significant work on the implementation and enforcement of the Regulations has been undertaken by planning authorities since they came into effect.

The Housing for All Action Plan Update (November 2022) contains a specific action (Action 16.7) - to “develop new regulatory controls requiring Short-Term and Holiday Lets to register with Fáilte Ireland with a view to ensuring that homes are used to best effect in areas of housing need”.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (D/TCAGSM) has made good progress in the development of its legislative proposals in relation to this action and on 7 December 2022, Government approved the priority drafting of the Registration of Short-Term Tourist Letting Bill and publication of the General Scheme of the Bill.

The legislation will deliver on the Housing for All objective to make more efficient use of existing housing stock. The D/TCAGSM and Fáilte Ireland will now engage further with my Department and all stakeholders to progress this legislation with a view to having the new register in place at the end of March 2023.