Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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375. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government regarding the forthcoming Short-Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill 2025, if he will consider providing for phased implementation, over a period of two years, of any requirements under the Bill that oblige existing tourism-focused short-term letting operators to obtain additional planning permission or effect a change of use for their properties, in order to prevent an undue administrative burden on local authority planning departments and to mitigate the financial and operational impact on small business owners operating in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27090/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The EU Short Term Rental (STR) Regulation was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024 and is applicable from 20 May 2026. This Regulation lays down harmonised rules on the collection and exchange of data on short-term rental services for member states, hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services, and online platforms that offer services to hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services within the EU. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (DTCAGSM) has drafted the Short-Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill General Scheme in full alignment with the STR Regulation. The introduction of the STLT Bill will provide a more effective legal and administrative basis to regulate short term lettings. The proposed STLT Bill will provide the statutory basis for the establishment of a register for Short Term Lets in Ireland and for the implementation of the new EU STR. The implementation and commencement of the STLT Bill is a matter for the DTCAGSM. The introduction of this legislation will have a number of potential impacts for local authorities as well as property owners who engage in Short Term Letting. These property owners will be required to confirm that they are compliant with planning legislation. Where they are currently not compliant and wish to become compliant, they may seek planning permission from the local authority.It is important that there is a clear view, both at national level and local authority level, as to the overall policy approach to determining planning applications for Short Term Lets. Cabinet recently agreed to generally preclude new planning permissions for Short term lets of whole properties that are not the principal private residence of the host, in cities and towns with a Census population in excess of 10,000 persons, at the most recent Census of Population. Furthermore, it was also agreed by Cabinet that local authorities should have discretion to develop policies for other locations having regard to relevant local criteria to be set out in the guidance. This guidance will be in the form of a National Planning Statement (NPS). My Department is currently developing a NPS for the Short-Term Letting sector to supplement and support the introduction of the STLT Bill. It will consider numerous complex factors, such as existing planning legislation, the long-term housing need in the local authority area, the location of the proposed Short-Term Let and balancing housing need with the potential impact on tourism and economic development. The NPS will provide clarity in respect of planning requirements regarding short-term letting properties. My Department has met with various stakeholders such as booking platforms and industry representatives and will continue to do so during the development of the NPS for the Short-Term Letting sector. The legislative basis for a NPS is contained within the Planning and Development Act 2024. The relevant provision governing National Planning Statements is due to be commenced later this year.