The data published this morning by daft.ie shows that more than half of all rental properties in Dublin are being listed as short-term lets. That is something we in Sinn Féin and Deputy Eoin Ó Broin have focused on in particular. We are concerned that professional landlords with multiple listings are misusing the system and using short-term platforms to boost their profits. We know the lack of affordability has been a key driver in pushing up rents in the private rental sector but also in terms of forcing people into homelessness. We also know that the Minister responsible has dragged his heels over introducing legislation on the issue because the working group that was set up by the Department in June 2017 has reported and the report is on the Minister's desk. Last year the Oireachtas committee on housing made a series of recommendations on how to deal with this issue and how to regulate short-term lettings. The Minister has failed to act although the report is sitting on his desk. In that sense he is fuelling the crisis in the rental sector. When will the Minister take action in this regard or will he just turn a blind eye to what is going on and what daft.ie has told us this morning?

Daft.ie is a great platform which I use myself but it has a direct interest in the property sector so we should not elevate its reporting to the same level of what a Government or State agency report might say. We look to the Residential Tenancies Board for reports on what is happening in the rental sector. Daft.ie is only one of many platforms with properties to rent so it does not show the totality of the market.

Airbnb is also a great platform but we do know that we have an issue with Airbnb lettings taking away rental properties in high demand areas from long-term renting and we know we have to manage those issues. We also know that more than 80% of the hosts on Airbnb in Ireland are home sharing. They go away for a week or two or a weekend and they let out their property. That helps them pay for the holiday, pay their bills and cover the mortgage. Airbnb is an important platform as well but it is true to say that we do have to make changes to protect the rental sector from too many properties being lost in high demand sectors to Airbnb. The lack of supply is what is pushing up rents. New protections that we are bringing in for renters is priority legislation for the Government.

The report on Airbnb is not sitting on my desk. It is being finalised at the moment in the Department and we will come forward with the report shortly and the changes we are going to make in relation to Airbnb and what is happening in the rental sector more generally.