Ministers have been facing pressure from property owners and politicians to ease the planned crackdown on short-term letting.
Minister for Tourism Peter Burke and Minister for Housing James Browne are developing the new regime for short-term lets, such as those advertised on Airbnb and other platforms, which will include a new register underpinned by updated planning permission rules.
The plans are part of efforts to tackle the housing crisis with some suggestions that as many as 10,000 homes could be freed up for long-term rental use.
The Government proposals have prompted complaints from short-term let owners and representatives of the self-catering tourism industry.
Issues raised in correspondence released under the Freedom of Information Act, include the requirement for planning permission for short-term lets – which previously did not apply to many rural areas – and a population threshold bringing in restrictions on new short-term-lets in towns with more than 10,000 people.
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Issues highlighted include fears for the rural tourism industry and the impact on retirement income. A number of people said they have no intention of putting their properties on the long-term rental market.
In response to queries on the complaints, the Department of Enterprise and Tourism said: “Minister Burke is aware of the genuine concerns regarding the impacts on rural tourism and local economies, of removing a significant cohort of properties from the [short-term let] market.”
The department also highlighted the goal of the measures saying: “meeting local housing need across Ireland is a critically important consideration and Government must use every lever available to assist in providing homes for our people, including returning properties to the long-term residential market.”
Under the Government proposals there would effectively be a ban on new planning permissions for commercial short-term lets in urban centres with more than 10,000 people.
There have been misgivings among Government TDs including Minister Norma Foley and Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae over the potential impact of this on tourist towns such as Killarney and Tralee.
A Department of Housing statement said the 10,000 population threshold has been Government policy since April 15th and “there is currently no review of this threshold under way.”
Other correspondence released shows Kerry Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill wrote to the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister Burke seeking consideration of “a planning exemption for those involved in short-term lets in Killarney and Tralee for the past three years and longer.”
Another Kerry-based Fianna Fáil politician, Seanad Cathaoirleach Mark Daly, wrote to Mr Browne highlighting the concerns of the Irish Self Catering Federation (ISCF). He wrote: “The ISCF asks that any changes to planning requirements apply solely to new businesses, with a degree of common sense to avoid deterring new entrants”.
A Department of Housing statement said: “An exemption for existing short-term lets is not being considered at this time.”
It said a planning exemption for home-sharers that let their entire principle private residence on a short-term basis for a cumulative period of 90 days will continue to apply.
In the correspondence to Mr Burke one self-catering owner in Wexford told the Minister: “Yes there is a housing crisis” but “rural self-catering businesses didn’t cause this”. They argued the plans would “ruin an already troubled Irish tourism industry”.
Another owner wrote: “the short-term accommodation we let here is an integral part of our income. Its absence would call into question whether or not we are able to stay in our family home in old age”.
Another woman said her “entire pension and inheritance went into this” and she has provided a “valuable service” with her short-term let. She said: “I have never had and will never have, any interest in being a landlady.”
