Michael Healy-Rae has said he is “doubtful” a proposed crackdown on Airbnb and other short-term lets will help solve the housing crisis. 

Yesterday, the Cabinet delayed a decision over the new measures after push back from a number of ministers.

The proposal would have seen a short-term let limit of 90-days a year in urban areas with a population of over 10,000.

On The Pat Kenny Show, Deputy Healy-Rae, who is also a Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said the housing crisis remains the Government’s “number one priority”. 

However, he added that many of his constituents are concerned about the impact of new regulations on the tourism industry. 

“The Government doesn’t want to hurt our tourism industry,” he said. 

“Yes, it is correct to say that an awful lot of homes are gone to short-term lets. 

“But if you talk about places like Killarney or Kinsale or Westport, there are tourism spots where we need short-term accommodation. 

“What the Government is trying to do, they’re trying to do a balance to deal with a problem - which they are doing their best in - and at the same time, not hurt our tourism sector.” 

Seafront houses in Kerry. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Minister Healy-Rae said the country needs “short-term lets” in rural areas where tourism is a huge part of the economy. 

“But at the same time, we don’t want a situation where every property if it’s bought, for example, if it’s in places like Dublin, Cork or Limerick, is being taken from the long-term, ordinary housing system into short-term lets,” he said. 

“Because there has to be a balance.” 

Minister Healy-Rae cautioned that some people who rent their property out short-term will not want to lease it out to a long-term tenant. 

“If you have somebody, a family who might have worked hard, they might be at it for five, 10, 15, 20-years at short-term letting, no matter what legislation comes in, they may very well make up their minds that if we can’t do short-term lets, they’re not going to do long-term lets either,” he said. 

“The one thing you can’t do is force anybody to do something with their private property that they don’t want to do.

“So, I appreciate where the Government is coming from on this; but whether I’m personally convinced myself that it's going to have the desired effect, I would be doubtful. 

“But I’m willing to work with whatever the compromise is in trying to bring what you can into the long-term [market].” 

The Government has promised to build “more than 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030.”

Main image: Michael Healy-Rae. Picture by: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie