Short-term letting regulations
Deputy Ó Broin urged the Government not to delay the new short-term letting rules and asked for confirmation of the 1 July deadline. The Minister said there had been no pressure on him, the regulations would be laid before the House the next day, and the approval process would allow them to commence immediately.
I raise the planning regulations on short-term letting that will come before the Oireachtas this week. Last Friday, Catherine Sanz reported in The Times, Ireland edition that Airbnb is trying to pressurise the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to delay the introduction of the new rules. As the Minister is aware, these regulations have been a long time coming and should not be delayed any further. The deadline has already been extended by one month. Will the Minister confirm the 1 July deadline will not be changed and that these regulations will be enforced from that day forward?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for the question. There has been no pressure on me on what we need to do when it comes to short-term letting. I thank the Oireachtas committee for the support we have received. Tomorrow morning, before we have our quarterly session on Rebuilding Ireland, I will officially lay the new regulations for short-term letting before the House and they will be discussed. These have to be approved by the committee, after which they can come into force immediately. An advertising campaign will commence in the run-up to the 1 July deadline for the new regulations to come into force. Provided that the Oireachtas continues to give its full support in respect of this matter tomorrow morning, the deadline will not change.