The controversial new online register for short-term lets by Ireland’s self catering tourism industry could be operational by next summer, pending EU scrutiny, according to housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.
The Housing Minister is seeking pre-clearance from EU officials in Brussels, with a scrutiny period ending on December 22.
The European Commission supports a pan-European register to ensure consistency across member states.
Self catering owners renting out to holidaymakers to register with Fáilte Ireland, as part of efforts to increase regulation and oversight.
Fáilte Ireland say they are ready to go with the register, while the self catering industry has urged caution on the issue of planning permission. A recent proposal was that planning permission would be required for each tourism unit for 20km around towns like Killarney.
The introduction of a similar measure in Scotland led to a reduction of 85pc of the tourism bed stock.
“The short term letting challenge, it’s quite acute in parts of Europe, too, particularly in the bigger cities. There is a whole discussion about over-tourism and that type of thing,” Mr O’Brien said.
“From the Commission’s perspective, it makes sense that it’s pan-European because obviously that there is clarity for the platforms that basically it is the same type of register, and we’re fine with that. I think, really, it was a timing thing, that we’re kind of ahead of all the other member states on this.”
Ireland submitted the legislation to Brussels last year, but the bloc put it on hold until this December so that it could scrutinise whether it was in line with the EU’s own plans to regulate the sector. The EU says that short term letting should be regulated the same way in all EU countries. Those rules are still being negotiated between MEPs and EU governments.
Currently there are 6,000 short term lets registered with Fáilte Ireland. This could increase to over 30,000 if the lets on platforms such as AirBnB and Vrbo join the register.
Ireland’s plan is to make sure anyone renting out a property for holidaymakers must register with
Regulations already in place state that tourism rentals in rent pressure zones who let out their home for short-term lets of more than 90 days or let out a second home must get planning permission.
“Successive governments, particularly the last one, if I look back at the regulations my predecessor brought in around inspection. While the regulations are I place, to be very honest with you, the inspections don’t happen at the rate that they should.”
“I’d likes to conclude second stage in advance of Christmas, if we could, but we’re going to lose some time this week because of the no confidence motion.”
See: The lesson from Scotland: just 15pc of tourism beds are left after short term rental registration farce https://www.travelextra.ie/40071-2/
