George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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299. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will guarantee a realistic grace period, beginning only once planning rules are published and when local authority capacity is in place to ensure that compliant rural businesses are not forced to cease trading or be removed from platforms due to delays outside their control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62411/25]

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 Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) 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. This Bill when enacted will provide the statutory basis for the introduction of a register for all Short-Term Lettings in Ireland, which will be implemented and managed by Fáilte Ireland from 20 May 2026.

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.

Following the approval received from Government on the 15 April to generally preclude new planning permissions for Short-Term Lets in large towns and cities 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.

To ensure 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, 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. It 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.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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304. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department is aware that farm families are being denied planning permission to build homes on land fronting N roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62323/25]

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 90 of 22 October 2025 which sets out the position in relation to this matter.