Clare councillors call on government to delay plans for Airbnb register

A motion passed by Clare councillors at the March meeting of Clare County Council(CCC) is calling on the government to suspend plans for a register for Airbnbs and short term lets.

The motion, which was brought before the council meeting on Monday afternoon, March 11, calls on Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien to "urgently engage with the providers of short-term lets and Airbnb’s throughout Ireland that are providing much needed support and accommodation to enhance the tourism industry that is so vital to our economy".

It calls for a derogation from government, also referred to as a "grandfather rule" in the UK, for all existing self-catering businesses to continue operating.

Currently the government aims to bring in a national online registration system scheduled to be rolled out by Fáilte Ireland this summer.

The Short-Term Tourist Lettings (STTL) Register will require all proprietors who offer short term tourist lettings to register their properties annually.

"What is required is a suspension of the mandatory registration process for short-term lets until adequate consultation and clarification is put in place in order to allay the fears, anxiety and misinformation that is bringing huge uncertainty to the providers of accommodation in this sector," the motion stated.

The motion was brought jointly by Cllrs Gerry Flynn, Rita McInerney, Joe Garrihy, Tom O’Callaghan, John Crowe, Michael Begley and Johnny Flynn.

The Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF), the representative body for more than 6,500 self-catering properties in Ireland, has welcomed the motion from CCC.

Máire ní Mhurchú, Chair of the ISCF said there is a critical shortage of available bed nights in Clare and an urgent need for clear planning guidelines around the development of glamping and other self-catering businesses to be established.

“We are calling on Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien to sit down with the ISCF to ensure no self-catering businesses, many of which are small family rural tourism businesses, are lost when the Register is introduced later this year,” she added.

“Issues with planning need to be sorted first, with a derogation for all existing STL businesses. Clear guidelines for planners and owners are essential before the Register is introduced.”

However, Cllr Cillian Murphy from west Clare has advocated for a need for registration and regulation.

"Short term letting system has no regulation, no registration, there is no compliance with state directors so they're actually, in my view, undermining existing businesses," Cllr Murphy said on Newstalk on Tuesday morning.

"I don't agree that short term lets are the cause of all of our issues with regards to property with the housing market, but it is certainly a contributing factor factor and it is exacerbated in some places," he continued.