Minister of State for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae TD, has called for urgent action to amend Government proposals on short-term letting (STL), warning that current plans could severely damage the rural tourism sector.

Speaking on Tuesday as he opened the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) Conference in Spanish Point, Co. Clare, Minister Healy-Rae highlighted his "deep concern" that the proposed regulations could "undo decades of good work and destroy viable family-run businesses."
The Minister stressed the importance of the sector, noting that the self-catering industry provides over 40% of Ireland’s tourism beds, most of which are located in rural towns and villages, according to Fáilte Ireland.
Minister Healy-Rae specifically reiterated his strong opposition to the proposal that would require all STL operators to apply for full planning permission and would effectively block new permissions in towns with populations over 10,000.
“This one-size-fits-all approach makes no sense," he stated. "Places like Killarney, Dungarvan, Ballina and Tramore will be hit hard and the reality is that these properties will not return to the long-term rental market. They were never part of it to begin with.”
“We have a housing crisis, but you are not the problem and neither are you the solution,” the Minister said, adding that the self-catering industry is “under-valued by politicians and the general public” and that there remains “a serious lack of awareness within government about the importance of this issue.”