Press Release from the Irish Self-Catering Federation
Irish Self-Catering Federation Pre-Budget Press Release 2024
The Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) whose members operate more than 6,500 self-cateringunits across the country, is calling on the government to recognize and act on the economic significance of the sector come the Budget on October 1 next.
In their pre-Budget submission, the organization is calling on Finance Minister Jack Chambers and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohue to ensure that support will be in place for existing businesses. They requested that the Short-Term Letting Register and associated planning regulations will not adversely impact the ability of owners to run their business. SME family businesses in rural areas need to be supported, like all sectors of the tourism industry, which has not happened to date.
ISCF Chief Executive Máire Ní Mhurchú is also asked the government to liaise with local enterprise offices across the country in ensuring that the LEO’s can act as one stop shops for the SME sector in the tourism industry and is highlighting the need for marketing support in particular. A -First Stop-Shop’ bringing all tourism agencies together would help SME businesses. Máire Ní Mhurchú says that the Budget must address the need for “digital supports for SME tourism businesses, retrofitting grants for all self-catering businesses with equivalence to what farmers receive. “There must also be a focus on Electric Vehicle charging linked to solar panels for self-catering as well as other sustainable practices which will link with Tourism Ireland,” Ms. Ní Mhurchú added.
Another key demand from the ISCF is the restoration of 9% VAT to the hospitality sector. “The tourism ecosystem is under threat at present with restaurants, pubs and many rural activity providers closing down. This will make Ireland less attractive to visit, while most self-catering owners are under the VAT threshold, they need these many small local businesses to make an area attractive,” the ISCF CEO warned.
The self-catering industry is primarily rurally based, providing employment and economic input across the country, particularly along the Wild Atlantic Way route. The government is planning to introduce a new General Scheme for the Registration of Short-Term Tourist Letting Bill which provides for the registration of self-catering homes and short-term holiday lettings across the country.
“Self-Catering owners are very disappointed that at the last Cabinet meeting before the summer recess the Dept of Tourism did not present the Register for STTL Bill and the Dept of Housing the associated Guidelines for Planners and Owners. We need clarity for small family businesses in rural Ireland so we can confidently take bookings for the 2025 season’While tourism leaders welcome the register, they are concerned that it will risk causing intended damage to the sector and result in the closure of self-catering homes and short-term holiday lets in rural communities and tourism towns nation-wide.
The government has previously said that it estimates the register will move 10,700 self-catering and short-term holiday letting properties to the long-term rental market, with the majority in rural Ireland. Counties along the Wild Atlantic Way, including Kerry, Galway and Cork will be most impacted by the loss of tourism accommodation. Figures from Fáilte Ireland show that Kerry will lose 1,858 short-term tourism accommodation units, Galway 1,459 and Cork 1,313.
The Government has not gathered any data on the effect of such closures on regional areas of Ireland. The ISCF has commissioned an Economic Report on Self-Catering which will be released at the start of September.
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25/07/2024
For more information contact:
ISCF.ie ISCF Office, Durrus, Co Cork – info@iscf.ie 086178 5654