Kerry Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill has warned that moves to restrict short-term lets will have a damaging effect on the local tourism economy.

Speaking this week, the Deputy argued that a diverse mix of accommodation is essential for the county’s success.
“We need Long and Short Term Lets, there’s no doubt about that. We need all sorts of accommodation types to fill the needs of the people. Restricting any type, for instance Short Term Lets, is a detrimental move and we should encourage more of all types,” said Deputy Cahill.
The Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Tourism claimed that because Kerry is the premier tourist county in Ireland, local business owners should have been consulted before any legislative changes were introduced. He noted that the wide choice of accommodatio,  including hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, and AirBnBs, is a primary reason visitors choose the area.
“Without this mix and flexibility, many people would stay away, despite our fabulous food and stunning scenery offerings,” he said. “As I stated previously, we need to be very careful that we do not ‘kill the Golden Goose’ by legislating Tourism Accommodation Providers out of the market.”
Addressing the housing crisis, Deputy Cahill stated his belief that the shortage can be solved through the reclamation of vacant and derelict premises and an increase in new planning permissions, rather than by targeting the tourism sector.
“I firmly believe that with the reclamation of Vacant & Derelict premises and a marked increase in new Planning Permissions, for both One Off Housing and Group Housing, which I have been constantly pushing for at the highest level of this Fianna Fáil led Government, with the expected investment in Constructed Wetlands in villages across the county, something that I have been consistently calling for since being elected a TD for Kerry 12 months ago, we will solve that shortage in the medium term,” he stated.
Deputy Cahill also criticised the new Short Term Letting Register managed by Fáilte Ireland, stating it lacks universal support in Killarney.
“The fact that this new Register is to focus on just one type of letting, i.e. Short Term, has brought it into disrepute with those offering such a service. Many of them believe that it is discriminatory towards Short Term Letting and that they are being held responsible for the shortage in Long Term lettings and the Housing Crisis,” he said.
The Rossbeigh-based TD highlighted that many in the AirBnB sector have no intention of moving into long-term letting. “They have found their niche, they say, they pay their taxes and they feel they should not be forced out of business. Legitimate businesses should be allowed to carry on and other tactics need to be employed to encourage and attract people to offering Long Term Letting. We need not use a sledge hammer to crack a nut,” he added.
Concluding his remarks, Deputy Cahill repeated his call for a waiver for those who have been operating short-term lets for three years or longer.
“I will again raise this serious matter in the Dáil, with the Taoiseach and Senior Government Ministers. This issue is more important now than ever before as is evident over the past 2 weeks with the opening of the first completed section of the South Kerry Greenway and the very obvious shortage of accommodation,” he said.