PRESS RELEASE. – 01/10/2025
Self-Catering Providers Call for Fair Exemptions as Members Rally at Dáil Éireann
“One-Size-Fits-All Legislation Will Be the Death Knell for Rural Tourism” – ISCF Members Rally at Dáil Éireann
Dublin, 1 October 2025 – Members of the Irish Self Catering Federation (ISCF) gathered outside Dáil Éireann yesterday to warn that Government’s proposed short-term rental legislation could sound the death knell for thousands of family-run businesses that have provided tourism accommodation in rural Ireland for decades.
The demonstration followed a sector-wide briefing at Buswells Hotel, where ISCF set out its concerns over plans to require planning permission for all short-term rentals (STRs). Unless amended, the ISCF warns the law could devastate rural economies, force many legitimate tourism operators to close, and risk up to €3.5 billion in lost revenue along the Wild Atlantic Way alone.
Independent research by leading economist Jim Power highlights the scale of what is at risk. In his 2025 report commissioned by the ISCF, he notes that the self-catering sector contributes €3.5 billion annually to Irish tourism, while visitors staying in self-catering properties generate 11.5 million bed nights per year, spending heavily in local communities. Furthermore, the sector supports 22,000 jobs directly and indirectly, often in regions with limited alternative employment.
ISCF members emphasised that these businesses are not speculative landlords but long-standing, family-owned holiday operators who have sustained rural tourism for generations.
One such example is Peter Warburton of Cottages for Couples in Skibbereen, County Cork.
“Our 15 properties brought more than 5,000 visitors to Skibbereen last year, representing a €2 million tourism boost to the local economy. We employ 12 local people, mostly women, and we maintain a 90% occupancy rate all year round, ensuring consistent support for local shops, restaurants and pubs. We’ve even been honoured with TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award five years running, putting us in the top 1% of accommodation providers worldwide. Yet despite this success, investors are now pulling out. In recent months, UK investors who own five of our properties have decided to sell up, spooked by this legislation. This isn’t a warning of what might happen — it’s already happening. Uncertainty is driving people away from rural Cork.”
The Federation is specifically calling for:
- An increase in the population threshold for planning restrictions from 10,000 to 30,000.
- A national register for short-term rentals to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Targeted supports for family-run accommodation providers who underpin rural economies and communities.
Máire Ní Mhurchú, CEO of the ISCF, said:
“This legislation risks being a blunt instrument that punishes rural tourism for a housing crisis it did not create. A one-size-fits-all approach is a death knell for family-run self-catering businesses, and by extension, for the shops, pubs, and small enterprises that rely on tourism spend. These are livelihoods, these are communities, and they deserve fair treatment. We are urging Government to work with us on exemptions that strike the right balance between protecting housing and sustaining rural Ireland.”
The ISCF emphasised that these measures would strike the right balance between protecting housing supply and ensuring the survival of Ireland’s self-catering sector, which underpins jobs, community vitality, and the visitor experience across the country.
End of Release
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About the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF)
The Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) is the national representative and lobbying body for owners of self-catering properties in Ireland. Established in 1998, the ISCF advocates on behalf of its members to promote and develop the interests of the self-catering sector across the country. The ISCF has called for a Register for STR since 2017.
Recognized by Fáilte Ireland, local and central government, and key tourism stakeholders, the ISCF works to ensure that self-catering accommodation providers have a unified voice in policy discussions and industry developments. The federation represents a diverse range of property owners, from individual holiday home operators to larger agencies and groups.
One of the ISCF’s key initiatives is the operation of LetsGoSelfCatering.com, an official property listing platform that allows guests to book directly with self-catering property owners throughout Ireland. This platform aims to provide a comprehensive national listing of quality-assured self-catering accommodations.
In addition to national advocacy, the ISCF is a member of the European Holiday Homes Association (EHHA), engaging in discussions and policy development at the European level to support the self-catering industry.