Tourism Policy
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-13
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Peter Burke (FG), Longford-Westmeath

I thank Deputy Cahill for his very important question. In line with the programme for Government, I was pleased to launch the Government's new national - I have the wrong one there. My apologies. I think I have the wrong question, if you could just give me a second. I do not see it here. Anyway, I will manage.
In relation to our short-term lets, there is obviously a commitment in the programme for Government about managing our short-term lets. We know the sector has grown by about 10% per annum over the last number of years. Critically, my responsibility is through Fáilte Ireland as it will be designated as a competent authority. This will essentially require a process where short-term lets will have to register on a portal and be provided with a unique number to ensure they comply with planning law. That is the critical component for which I am responsible. The second, working with the Minister, Deputy Browne, is to come forward with a planning statement which will essentially designate the criteria for short-term lets. It is based on a population basis.
We went forward to the Oireachtas joint committee and we are now awaiting its pre-legislative scrutiny report. That will be key for guiding the Minister, Deputy Browne, and I on the criteria that will be set out. I know the Deputy has raised very significant concerns about Killarney and other towns in relation to short-term lets. We will take on board all of those concerns. My critical concern is that we have to ensure we are bringing housing stock back into the long-term market, particularly in our large cities. As a tourism Minister, I also have to balance not only our indigenous tourism sector, which is very important, but also the societal need for housing. The challenge is getting the correct balance here.
I absolutely commit that we will work the Deputy and others to try to get the right policy. We will consider the pre-legislative scrutiny report from the committee, which we are due to have very shortly. I want to see the sectors grow. In areas that do not have very significant hotel accommodation, I acknowledge you need short-term lets. I am absolutely aware of that. In many locations, it is not viable to build hotels at the moment. That is something we will be looking at in our accommodation strategy, which I also hope to bring forward this year.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-13/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:30+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-13