Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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576. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding self-catering businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54713/25]

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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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 Enterprise, Tourism and Employment 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.

Following the approval received from Government on the 15 April to generally preclude new planning permissions for STLs in cities and towns with a Census population in excess of 10,000 people, at the most recent Census of Population, my Department is working to give effect to this decision. This involves a review of the current Planning Acts with a view to remove references to Rent Pressure Zones in respect of short-term lets.

My Department is currently developing a National Planning Statement (NPS) for the short term letting sector to supplement and support the introduction of the STLT Bill. The NPS will consider a variety of 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.

A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and a four-week public consultation period on the matter concluded on 26 August 2025. The consultation on exempted development regulations generated a significant response from the public, with almost 1,000 submissions received via the online consultation portal.

These submissions are currently being reviewed and will inform new draft Exempted Development Regulations, which must then be subject to screening for Environmental Assessment, before being laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This will also necessitate engagement with the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

It should be noted homesharers are currently allowed to sub-let their entire principal private residence (house or apartment) on a short term basis for a cumulative period of 90 days where they are temporarily absent from their home. Where the 90-day threshold is exceeded, change of use planning permission will be required.