Michael Healy-Rae noted his insistence 'that we relook urgently at planning exemptions for long-standing STL operators'. Photograph Nick BradshawThere should be a “serious rethink” of the Government’s planned crackdown on short-term letting (STL) “before irreparable damage is done to rural Ireland”, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Michael Healy-Rae has told senior Coalition figures. The Independent junior minister and Kerry TD said the existing plans are “not the solution to the housing crisis ... The Departments of Enterprise and Housing are developing a new regime for short-term lets, such as those advertised on Airbnb and other platforms. Mr Healy-Rae added that he was “insisting that we relook urgently at planning exemptions for long-standing STL operators”.

Source: The Irish Times January 02, 2026 15:01 UTC