In February, Irish Country Living reported on the status of self-catering accommodation in the Republic of Ireland.
For many years, rural dwellers looking to diversify into tourist accommodation have been plagued with roadblocks due to difficulties in obtaining planning permission – particularly if they live within rent pressure zones or farms (land assigned for agricultural use).
The Government-led ‘Housing For All’ initiative aims to ease the housing crisis by taking a deeper look at short-term lets, which might be better used as long-term housing for those in need.
There are also shortages within the tourism sector as hotels and guesthouses are used to provide emergency accommodation for refugees and others.
All of these things are important: providing refuge and housing to those in need while sustaining a vibrant rural tourism and hospitality sector.
There is no easy solution, but at the time of our previous article, chair of the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) Máire Ní Mhurchú was feeling hopeful that things would become easier for those wanting to open self-catering businesses, after years spent lobbying the Government.
New regulation
On 10 April, 2024, all European Union (EU) member states signed off on a new regulation on short-term rental data collection.
The regulation aims to harmonise registration requirements for short-term lets; clarify rules to ensure registration numbers are displayed and checked on online booking platforms; and streamline data-sharing between online platforms and public authorities.
In Ireland, the Short Term Tourist Letting Register (STTL) is planned to come into effect in the near future.
It will be operated under Fáilte Ireland as part of the new EU regulation and in connection with the Government’s ‘Housing For All’ initiative. Any business offering up to 21 days of accommodation will be required to register.
The ISCF’s hope is that, along with this register, there will be concise information on planning guidelines for self-catering accommodation.
In May, Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú called on Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, to exempt agri-tourism short-term lets from the upcoming legislation.
She says that many have diversified to ensure the viability of the family farm.
Shortly after, the ISCF and their counterparts in the Vintners Federation of Ireland, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Irish Tourism Industry Confederation and Ireland’s Association for Adventure Tourism jointly penned an open letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris.
Maire Ní Mhurchú is chairperson of the Irish Self Catering Federation.
The letter voiced their shared concerns regarding what upcoming regulations, in the absence of other necessary changes, will do to tourism and the wider economy within rural Ireland.
“We sent the letter because it’s not just us being affected,” Máire tells Irish Country Living. “It’s the cafés, restaurants, pubs – the whole infrastructure. The uncertainty is affecting everybody.
“We want the planning issues sorted before the register comes in,” she adds.
“We believe the registry is needed, because the Government needs to know we’re tax and health and safety compliant with the proper insurance. Fáilte Ireland needs to know where there is enough self-catering accommodation and where there needs to be more. Nothing should get in the way of it coming in – but the planning issues still need to be sorted.”
Onerous planning
The letter reads: “The onerous planning obligations that are being drafted by the Department of Housing due to be discussed by cabinet soon in tandem with the Register are causing significant concern.”
These planning obligations combined with the registry will likely see the closures of thousands of self-catering accommodations within rural Ireland with current Government estimates sitting at over 10,000. 60% of these found on the Wild Atlantic Way.
“The Minister for Tourism has been saying 10,700 units will go,” Máire says.
“In Tipperary, they’re talking 592 properties. In Galway, it’s 1,400. In Kerry, it’s over 1,800. That’s going to decimate the Wild Atlantic Way and rural tourism.”
Government response
A spokesperson for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media says the long-term growth of the tourism sector requires an “appropriate balance” between the short and long-term rental sectors.
“‘Housing for All’ has specifically committed, in the context of making more efficient use of existing housing stock, to developing regulatory controls with a view to ensuring that homes are used to best effect in areas of housing need,” they say.
“While the STTL Bill is not specifically targeted at reducing the number of short-term let properties in Ireland, it will provide a framework within which planning authorities can identify those short-term let properties that are operating without the appropriate planning permission.”
The representative says that both Minister Martin and the wider department are aware of the concerns around safeguarding rural tourism and local economies and the impact this could have, but that the general local housing need within rural Ireland is equally important.
“An important input in balancing local housing and tourism economy needs will be planning guidelines that are under development by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH),” it states.
“Self-catering and B&Bs are incredibly important parts of the overall tourism accommodation ecosystem and it is vital that, wherever possible, this is recognised in a sensible way by the planning authorities.
"The Minister for Housing will be publishing these guidelines in alignment with the publication of the STLT Bill.”
Máire says the ISCF welcomes Government support for the self-catering industry, but notes: “For existing self-catering businesses, we need a planning derogation and for new rural tourism businesses, a simple ‘change of use’ for property or buildings, as there is a lack of family-friendly accommodation in Ireland at present.”
A new registration system is coming into effect for all self-catering businesses in Ireland or any business offering short-term lets (fewer than 21 days).In addition, the Government is planning to identify properties which would be better suited for long-term accommodation as part of their ‘Housing For All’ initiative.It is estimated that over 10,000 self-catering properties will close as a result.This would cause serious problems for rural tourism and associated businesses.There are calls for the Government to simplify the process of obtaining planning permission for self-catering and glamping sites in rural Ireland.
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In February, Irish Country Living reported on the status of self-catering accommodation in the Republic of Ireland.
For many years, rural dwellers looking to diversify into tourist accommodation have been plagued with roadblocks due to difficulties in obtaining planning permission – particularly if they live within rent pressure zones or farms (land assigned for agricultural use).
The Government-led ‘Housing For All’ initiative aims to ease the housing crisis by taking a deeper look at short-term lets, which might be better used as long-term housing for those in need.
There are also shortages within the tourism sector as hotels and guesthouses are used to provide emergency accommodation for refugees and others.
All of these things are important: providing refuge and housing to those in need while sustaining a vibrant rural tourism and hospitality sector.
There is no easy solution, but at the time of our previous article, chair of the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) Máire Ní Mhurchú was feeling hopeful that things would become easier for those wanting to open self-catering businesses, after years spent lobbying the Government.
New regulation
On 10 April, 2024, all European Union (EU) member states signed off on a new regulation on short-term rental data collection.
The regulation aims to harmonise registration requirements for short-term lets; clarify rules to ensure registration numbers are displayed and checked on online booking platforms; and streamline data-sharing between online platforms and public authorities.
In Ireland, the Short Term Tourist Letting Register (STTL) is planned to come into effect in the near future.
It will be operated under Fáilte Ireland as part of the new EU regulation and in connection with the Government’s ‘Housing For All’ initiative. Any business offering up to 21 days of accommodation will be required to register.
The ISCF’s hope is that, along with this register, there will be concise information on planning guidelines for self-catering accommodation.
In May, Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú called on Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, to exempt agri-tourism short-term lets from the upcoming legislation.
She says that many have diversified to ensure the viability of the family farm.
Shortly after, the ISCF and their counterparts in the Vintners Federation of Ireland, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Irish Tourism Industry Confederation and Ireland’s Association for Adventure Tourism jointly penned an open letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris.
Maire Ní Mhurchú is chairperson of the Irish Self Catering Federation.
The letter voiced their shared concerns regarding what upcoming regulations, in the absence of other necessary changes, will do to tourism and the wider economy within rural Ireland.
“We sent the letter because it’s not just us being affected,” Máire tells Irish Country Living. “It’s the cafés, restaurants, pubs – the whole infrastructure. The uncertainty is affecting everybody.
“We want the planning issues sorted before the register comes in,” she adds.
“We believe the registry is needed, because the Government needs to know we’re tax and health and safety compliant with the proper insurance. Fáilte Ireland needs to know where there is enough self-catering accommodation and where there needs to be more. Nothing should get in the way of it coming in – but the planning issues still need to be sorted.”
Onerous planning
The letter reads: “The onerous planning obligations that are being drafted by the Department of Housing due to be discussed by cabinet soon in tandem with the Register are causing significant concern.”
These planning obligations combined with the registry will likely see the closures of thousands of self-catering accommodations within rural Ireland with current Government estimates sitting at over 10,000. 60% of these found on the Wild Atlantic Way.
“The Minister for Tourism has been saying 10,700 units will go,” Máire says.
“In Tipperary, they’re talking 592 properties. In Galway, it’s 1,400. In Kerry, it’s over 1,800. That’s going to decimate the Wild Atlantic Way and rural tourism.”
Government response
A spokesperson for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media says the long-term growth of the tourism sector requires an “appropriate balance” between the short and long-term rental sectors.
“‘Housing for All’ has specifically committed, in the context of making more efficient use of existing housing stock, to developing regulatory controls with a view to ensuring that homes are used to best effect in areas of housing need,” they say.
“While the STTL Bill is not specifically targeted at reducing the number of short-term let properties in Ireland, it will provide a framework within which planning authorities can identify those short-term let properties that are operating without the appropriate planning permission.”
The representative says that both Minister Martin and the wider department are aware of the concerns around safeguarding rural tourism and local economies and the impact this could have, but that the general local housing need within rural Ireland is equally important.
“An important input in balancing local housing and tourism economy needs will be planning guidelines that are under development by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH),” it states.
“Self-catering and B&Bs are incredibly important parts of the overall tourism accommodation ecosystem and it is vital that, wherever possible, this is recognised in a sensible way by the planning authorities.
"The Minister for Housing will be publishing these guidelines in alignment with the publication of the STLT Bill.”
Máire says the ISCF welcomes Government support for the self-catering industry, but notes: “For existing self-catering businesses, we need a planning derogation and for new rural tourism businesses, a simple ‘change of use’ for property or buildings, as there is a lack of family-friendly accommodation in Ireland at present.”
A new registration system is coming into effect for all self-catering businesses in Ireland or any business offering short-term lets (fewer than 21 days).In addition, the Government is planning to identify properties which would be better suited for long-term accommodation as part of their ‘Housing For All’ initiative.It is estimated that over 10,000 self-catering properties will close as a result.This would cause serious problems for rural tourism and associated businesses.There are calls for the Government to simplify the process of obtaining planning permission for self-catering and glamping sites in rural Ireland.
Read more
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To pod, or not to pod? That is the question
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