Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2021
295. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that only one application has been received by Cork City Council for short-term lettings under the Planning and Development Act 2000 and no enforcement notices issued; and his plans to tackle this. [57483/21]
View answerLegislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019.
Notwithstanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, significant work on the implementation and enforcement of the Regulations has been undertaken by planning authorities since they came into effect. For the purposes of the short term letting regulations, a premises used for a short term letting use is a commercial building. Accordingly, in the case of a new short-term letting use, a person should apply for change of use planning permission from a residential use to a commercial short term letting use. For an existing unauthorised short term letting use, retention permission should be sought. However, planning Authorities have no control over the number of change of use planning applications they receive.
Under the legislation planning authorities can avail of a range of measures to enforce against unauthorised short term letting activity, of which the issuing of an enforcement notice is just one. Cork City Council have initiated 174 investigations into suspected breaches of the short-term letting regulations, and have issued 158 informal warning letters and 30 warning letters. Enforcement notices may issue in relation to a number of these investigations.
Housing for All contains a specific action - (Action 20.4) - to “develop new regulatory controls requiring short-term and holiday lets to register with Fáilte Ireland with a view to ensuring that houses are used to best effect in areas of housing need”. Minister O’Brien has engaged with Minister Catherine Martin on this matter, and a number of meetings have been held between my Department and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and with Fáilte Ireland and further engagement will take place in the near future.
Significant progress has been made on these proposals, which are being led by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Funding has been allocated in Budget 2022 and Fáilte Ireland will be commencing shortly with recruitment of staff to manage the design and infrastructure for a short term lettings registration system. Work has also begun on scoping the legal changes which will be required and are expected to be legislated for by Q2 2022.
