Press Release on Response to Planning and Development Bill ( no 2) 2022
Minister Darragh o Brien issues the Planning and Dev Bill (no 2) Bill 2022 launched in the last week of the Dail, before the summer break with a lot of other legislation to be rushed through. This is not a way to deal with legislation dealing with housing and particularly holiday accommodation. The Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) fully supports the Government’s policy objective of ensuring that there is housing for all in Ireland. We understand the need to ensure that every possible unused or underused housing unit should become available to meet this objective. However, the stock of houses and cottages owned and operated by Federation members plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of a regionally dispersed tourism industry and is not an appropriate source of property to meet the national Housing needs.
If the strengthened regulatory controls announced on 10th July are implemented on 1st September it is essential that Local Planning Authorities are given full guidelines to enable them to make planning determinations in a fair and consistent manner so as to meet the twin objectives of tourism and housing. At present the Dept of Tourism who are bringing in a Register for Short Term Rental to be managed by Failte Ireland before the end of 2022. At the EU level, an STR Register is also to be announced and Data management legislation will bring more control to the OTA market.
The ISCF is involved at the EU level and at the Irish Government level lobbying the Government on behalf of our members. We provide a clear framework for doing business, providing Quality Assured accommodation to the market and Selling via our LetsGoSelfCatering.ie website direct to guests, and working with the most important affiliates. I attach a link to the Blog issued following last Monday’s announcement of the Planning and Development Bill that sets out what this will mean for our members and which you may find useful.