Kerry lawmakers warn Irish tourism bill could harm short term letting

Opposition members of Dáil Éireann have criticized the Irish government's Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill during debate in the parliament. Gript reported that Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae called the legislation a terrible attack on the right of homeowners to choose how they use their properties. [1]

The bill underwent debate during its Committee and Remaining Stages in the Dáil on Wednesday. According to Gript, Danny Healy-Rae and other opposition parliamentarians raised concerns about how the new rules will affect current Airbnb hosts. Fellow Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae previously submitted 15 amendments to the bill, warning that its planning provisions and operational uncertainties could damage rural enterprise. [1]

The Dáil Éireann constituency of Kerry elects five deputies to the lower house of the Irish parliament using proportional representation. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the proposed legislation creates a national short term rental register to be managed by Fáilte Ireland. That registration system is scheduled to open on December 1st and will apply to towns with populations over 20,000 people. [2][4]