'What about all the hotels that are sitting closed and idle?' - Leitrim councillor

The Government intends to restrict short-term lets in towns with a population of more than 20,000, instead of 10,000, it has been announced after an agreement was reached in principle following discussions between Government party leaders and Minister for Tourism Peter Burke this week.

There are 20 towns in the country with populations in excess of 20,000, according to the 2022 Census. Drogheda, Co Louth, was the largest, with 44,135 people counted there four years ago.

Short-term letting refers to the letting of accommodation for up to 21 nights at a time.

Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, Cllr Brendan Barry said that he felt it was "disappointing" that government wasn't doing more to reduce short-term lets. "I'm not opposed to them or want to see a full ban but I do think we should be shifting from having the almost 17,000 people living in hotels and emergency accommodation, with up to 5,000 children, to a position that they are living in houses. Tourists and people staying in short-terms lets should be staying in hotels."

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Meanwhile, Minister Burke said: "There are many areas in our country where it is not viable at the moment to construct hotels, and we need to work on that across 2026," adding that there needs to be capacity for additional tourists coming into our country.

Legislation which will require all short-term lets to be planning compliant will be discussed by an Oireachtas committee later in the week.

Cllr Barry continued: "He says that it's not viable to construct hotels but what about all the hotels and guesthouses that are sitting closed and idle across the country and especially in Leitrim where there market is being undermined by short-term lets. There is a hotel changing ownership in Drumshanbo and it might be a change of use for the new owners or it could open as a hotel. I think it would be a huge loss to the area if it was to be lost as a hotel. Short-term lets would be part of the reason that would undermine the viability of a hotel being open in Drumshanbo and other towns across Co. Leitrim."