246. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on the Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill. [74973/26]

In April of last year, I obtained Government approval for the general scheme of the Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill.  Upon enactment, the Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill will provide, for the first time, a comprehensive statutory framework governing the short-term letting sector in Ireland, including the establishment of a national register. The Government approved the Bill for publication on 6 October, representing a significant step towards a more transparent and effectively regulated sector. The Department, in conjunction with the relevant parliamentary offices, is finalising the necessary arrangements for publication of the Bill this week.  Once published the Bill will proceed to Second Stage in Dáil Éireann.

This register, which has been broadly welcomed by the tourism sector, will be implemented and managed by Fáilte Ireland. The register will launch on 1 December 2026, with a legal obligation on all operators to register by 31 December 2026. The register will operate in compliance with the EU Short-Term Rental Regulation (EU) 2024/1028, which came into effect on 20 May 2026.

The planning policy framework for short-term letting activity, and all matters relating to planning and local authority resources, fall within the remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Draft National Planning Statement (NPS) for Short-Term Letting was approved by Government on 17 June 2026, following its submission to Cabinet by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as proposed national planning policy. The Government decision enabled the draft NPS to progress to the next stage of the statutory process, which requires a Strategic Environmental Assessment. Subject to the completion of this process, a finalised version of the NPS will be returned to Government for approval.

The planning policy for short-term letting activity, as set out in the NPS, restricts the approval of new planning permissions for short-term lets in cities and larger towns with a population of over 20,000 at the last census, based on the census town boundaries (defined by the CSO). There will be a presumption in favour of granting planning permission for short-term letting where a dwelling has been used continuously for this purpose for at least seven years, and no enforcement action was taken. This applies where the proposal would not create serious traffic, flooding, or pollution risks, or breach occupancy-related planning conditions.

The Planning and Development (Short Term Letting - Planning and Development Act 2000) (Change of Use) Regulations 2026, SI 500/2026, came into operation on 29 September 2026.

This regulation enables a simplified administrative version of the usual application process for retention, specifically for STLs, by way of amendment to planning regulations.

Under the new arrangements:

• applicants are not required to submit detailed plans and maps as part of their retention application

• a new application form has been introduced specifically for these applications

This provides for a streamlined, less expensive and fully administrative process for long-term STL operators.

The arrangements are available to STL operators, regardless of where the property is located or how long the STL activity has been in operation, to regularise their planning status.

Short-term letting accommodation providers based in towns with a population of 20,000 or less at the last census, have two years to meet national planning compliance requirements.

The letting of a room or rooms in a person’s principal private residence is permissible on an unrestricted basis and is exempt from planning requirements.

It should be noted that homesharers are currently allowed to sub-let their entire principal private residence (house or apartment) on a short-term basis for a cumulative period of 90 days where they are temporarily absent from their home. Where the 90-day threshold is exceeded, planning permission for change of use is required.

The introduction of the register will provide the first comprehensive and authoritative picture of the short-term letting (STL) sector and will serve as the primary source of STL data. This will provide a robust evidence base to inform future policy and enable Government to monitor the impacts of regulation and market developments over time.

Until the register becomes operational, Fáilte Ireland will continue to produce monthly estimates of online STL activity based on data collected from online listings. These estimates indicate that, as of August 2026, 32,060 STL properties were advertised across two of the largest booking platforms operating in the Irish market. This represents an increase of 14.9% from 27,900 properties recorded in 2022. In Tipperary the estimated figure of STL properties advertised for August 2026 was 580 of which 53% were advertised as whole houses or apartments.

Tourism is a vital part of the Irish economy, supporting 228,700 jobs and generating €5.4 billion in 2025. The Government’s approach positively strikes a balance between sustaining rental housing supply and supporting the vitality of rural and regional tourism and employment.

To ensure that all accommodation providers and intermediaries advertising short-term letting accommodation are aware of their registration and reporting obligations, my Department has developed a dedicated webpage providing easily accessible information for the sector, available at:

https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/the-business-environment/tourism/short-term-letting.

The webpage is regularly updated to reflect the latest developments and provides guidance on registration requirements and related obligations.