Carlow MEP calls for Short Term Lettings bill to be scraped

Ireland South MEP and Carlow native, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has called on the government to rethink the Short Term Letting bill saying that while it is well intentioned, it will damage the tourism market in rural Ireland.

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According to Ní Mhurchú, there are flaws in the bill that mean that while it is certain to do damage to rural tourism in Ireland, there is no guarantee that it will bring about the intended release of properties back into the long term rental market:

“There are absolutely no guarantees that those short term rental properties that are forced out of the tourism rental market will rent out their properties on the long term rental market. Many of the the tourism providers that I have met with say that their properties are not suitable for the long term market or that they have no interest in letting out their properties on a year round basis. We have no evidence that points to the fact that this bill will bring 10,000 properties back into the long term rental market. We do know that taking 10,000 short term lets out of our tourism market overnight is sure to damage our rural tourism industry”

Ní Mhurchú criticised the fact that this bill has been hanging over tourist accommodation providers for almost 3 years creating a sense of uncertainty in the market,

“Uncertainty is damaging tourism providers who are unsure as to whether they can take bookings for the summer 2025 period or not. This uncertainty is causing great stress and anxiety to tourism providers and is already having an impact on a tourism market that typically takes bookings up to 12 months in advance”

Ní Mhurchú says the short term lettings bill is well intentioned and may be more suitable to Irish cities but that its impact on rural Ireland’s tourism market has not been taken into consideration. Ní Mhurchú says that tourism providers are already under significant pressure given the cost of living crisis, higher VAT rate and poor summer weather.

Ní Mhurchú pointed to the views of Dr Sarah Hamill of the School of Law at Trinity College where Hamill said that this bill “won’t increase long term rental supply”

Ní Mhurchú has now called for a rethink of the bill and an examination of new ways in which the owners of properties could be incentivised to switch their focus to the long term rental market if their property is suitable.