I welcome members of Kinsale Men's Shed who are with us today. I also welcome those in the Gallery involved in short-term lets who are fighting for their very survival and were in Buswells Hotel earlier today. The people of Ireland, mainly in coastal communities, are genuinely worried about what the Government is about to do with these short-term letting proposals. In places like west Cork, from Kinsale to Castletownbere, Airbnb and short-term let hosts are ordinary families, mainly small farmers and women trying to keep the lights on. They are terrified that these new rules will wipe out Airbnb and short-term lets altogether and, with it, the tourism that keeps our small towns alive. The legislation proposes to ask people to get planning permission. For many of them, that could cost tens of thousands of euro, which they simply cannot afford. I also sat in the committee meeting with officials from the Departments of tourism and planning on the short-term letting and tourism Bill. I say it straight. They are all over the place. There is no joined-up thinking with regard to the planning aspect of this Bill. These short-term lets, whether tree houses, pods, sheds, granny flat or tents, were built for tourism and tourism only-----

I ask the Taoiseach to respond.

They are what keeps rural Ireland going. Rural Ireland has taken enough hits. Will the Government step back from this?

I welcome the Kinsale Men's Shed. The Men's Sheds are wonderful organisations across the country generally. I also welcome the history of politics group from Wexford. It is a discipline close to my own heart, as both a student and a practitioner.

On the short-term lets situation, I have watched the odd Facebook presentation from Deputy Collins. He is having meetings up and down and is enjoying himself to a certain extent. The legislation is not requesting anyone to have planning permission. The Deputy knows this.

The Minister said different today.

He has a duty to tell the truth about these matters. I am willing to engage. The Attorney General is clear that from the get-go, from the beginning, if you move from residential to commercial activity, that de facto requires planning permission. There are certain rules that if you are at it a long time, you do not. That is the existing planning status. That is nothing new. No one is creating something new. That is the position. You can register and the idea will be-----

Thank you, Taoiseach. I call Deputy Malcolm Byrne.

-----that when the Government brings its proposals you can register without planning permission-----

Time is up, Taoiseach.

-----but there will be an expectation that, over time, you would regularise your planning.

In two years, it will be game over.