Government caves to rural independents on short term lets
Government caves to rural independents on short term lets - The Labour Party
Labour housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has today criticised the Government’s decision to weaken its own proposals on short term lets by raising the population threshold from towns of 10,000 to those of more than 20,000. The move marks a retreat from earlier commitments and underlines the lack of urgency from Government in the middle of a housing emergency.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“This decision lays bare the Government’s priorities. At a time when rents are spiralling and families are locked out of secure housing, Ministers have chosen to whistle to the tune of rural independents rather than act in the public interest. Government was clear that restrictions on short term lets would apply in towns with a population of more than 10,000. That position has now been abandoned, with the threshold quietly raised to 20,000 to appease the Lowry Independents and keep the Government afloat.
“There is still no urgency from Government on short term lets, despite the overwhelming evidence of the damage they cause to the private rental market. Threshold report after Threshold report has shown how the unchecked growth of short term lets strips homes from long term rental supply, drives up rents, and forces workers, students and families out of their communities. Those warnings have been ignored.
“Any serious response must also deal with the role of platforms themselves. Companies such as Airbnb continue to allow unregulated and non compliant properties to be advertised, despite clear obligations under the 2019 planning legislation. That situation is entirely unacceptable. Platforms must be held accountable for what they host, and illegal short term lets must be removed rather than quietly tolerated.
“Labour has put forward practical solutions to strengthen enforcement. We proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Board Amendment Bill to introduce mandatory information sharing between Fáilte Ireland and the RTB, precisely to ensure that rules on short term lets can be properly enforced. Instead of decisive action, we see a Government more focused on internal politics than on solving the housing emergency. Renters and communities are being left to carry the cost of that failure, with nurses, teachers, hospitality workers and young families paying the price every day.
“Housing policy cannot be dictated by short term political calculations. The consequences are too serious, and we are already living with the damage caused by years of half measures and missed opportunities. Weakening the rules on short term lets will only deepen the crisis.
We need real action now, starting with the immediate publication of a clear National Planning Statement from the Department of Housing on short term lets, proper accountability for platforms, and the removal of arbitrary population caps which take no account of cost, homelessness levels or available rental supply. Anything less is a failure to treat the housing crisis with the seriousness it demands.”