Cabinet briefing: Airbnb and hosts face penalties if they fail to notify short-term rentals on the new register

Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and hosts who do not register their properties on a new registry should be penalized under new laws.

The government is set to crack down on short-term rentals that are rented for longer than the allowed annual period.

This will aim to release 12,000 units for long-term rental.

New legislation presented to Cabinet today by Tourism Minister Catherine Martin will bring the new register into law in the new year.

Hosts who rent accommodation for up to 21 nights will need to register their properties on the registry.

Owners will need to register via an online portal, where they will register their details and confirm that they have planning permission if required.

Owners who do not register will be penalized, as well as the websites on which they advertise their properties.

Properties advertised for short-term rental through online platforms, such as Airbnb or Booking.com, will need to have a valid registration number with Fáilte Ireland.

Accelerated social housing

Social, affordable and economy rental housing will be built faster on land zoned under fast-track laws.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien will today propose a temporary exemption from the Part 8 planning process only for social, affordable and high-cost rental housing by local councils on public land.

Developments will be subject to certain conditions, including that the development must be zoned for residential development in a development plan or local development plan.

Councils will also need to be satisfied that the proposed accommodation does not need an environmental impact assessment before it is built.

The fast-track legislation will form part of the Foreshore Planning and Development Bill.

Furthermore, civil servants appointed to the board of directors of An Bórd Pleanala on a temporary basis will not suffer a salary reduction.

The planning body is currently being overhauled amid conflicts of interest.

Ministers will approve rules for civil servants who can be appointed temporarily.

Elective hospitals

New elective hospitals are set to be built in Dublin, Cork and Galway under proposals presented to Cabinet by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

He will also bring plans to build five new “surgical centres” across the country that will put in place more operating rooms and more beds to help tackle the waiting list.

The hubs are expected to cost up to €100m and are expected to be built in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Dublin and Waterford.

They will be modeled on the existing surgical center called Reeves Center at Tallaght University Hospital, which has four operating theaters and 25 recovery beds.

These centers would be separate from emergency departments so that surgical recovery beds remain free for patients awaiting scheduled operations, reducing the risk of cancellations on short notice.

Irish exporters

A new white paper on industrial policy will seek to create a broader and stronger Irish exporting sector.

Seeking to shake Ireland’s reputation for relying on multinational investment, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar will aim to halve the number of major Irish exporting companies in the final years of this decade.

He will also announce efforts to create the conditions for 2,000 more Irish exporters to thrive in the global market by 2030.

The white paper will also set a target of 2.5% average annual growth in productivity for Irish-owned businesses.

The document will be taken to Cabinet and then launched by the head of Fine Gael.

Dole redesign

High-income workers who lose their jobs would be eligible for social assistance at more than double the normal rate under proposals to radically overhaul jobseeker’s allowance.

Workers with a work history will benefit from social assistance rates of up to €450 under the plans.

Social Care Minister Heather Humphreys will present a memo to Cabinet outlining plans to introduce unemployment benefit payments that will be directly linked to a worker’s wages before they become unemployed.

Under the major overhaul of the welfare system, a worker with five or more years of PRSI contributions will be entitled to 60% of their gross weekly earnings capped at €450 per week.