Short-term let rules ‘pointless’ without real enforcement - Green Party

Ellen O'Donoghue

The Green Party has said that changing regulations on short-term lets is pointless unless the rules are actually enforced.

The party expressed disappointment at the decision to introduce restrictions for areas with a population of 20,000 people, rather than 10,000 as originally proposed.

Only 24 towns and cities fall under the new proposals.

Minister for Tourism Peter Burke welcomed the change, saying it's important to "build resilience in our tourism sector".

Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman told Newstalk that there will likely be loopholes, whatever decision is reached.

"Enforcement is so important here, and that’s one of the things that’s been really lacking from the government over the last 12 months, a failure to enforce these new rules, even if they are introduced, even if they are watered down like the government is proposing, if they’re not enforced, then they’ll be of absolutely no use to anyone."

O'Gorman added that the U-turn shows the Government's ignorance of the rural housing crisis.

He said that many parts of the country will see no benefit at all.

"The housing crisis affects everyone, from inner city Dublin to rural Kerry; no one area is unaffected, so carving out 24 areas of the country where someone is more entitled to a home than somewhere else is actually reprehensible, and it’s definitely not standing up for rural Ireland or for those who want to live there."