New restrictions on short-term lets will only apply to towns and cities with populations of more than 20,000 people, as the Government abandons a former plan to set a cap on populations of more than 10,000. Explaining the rowback, Minister for Tourism Peter Burke said the Government was trying to be “understanding” towards smaller towns that were in high demand for tourism but suffered from a lack of tourist accommodation. Speaking on his way to a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, Burke confirmed he had agreed the new policy restricting short-term lets on towns with populations of 20,000 or more party leaders on Monday night. “And short-term lets are key to providing that capacity,” he said. “It is increasingly clear to me that not enough thought is being given” to “the devastating consequences this legislation will have on rural communities, rural tourism, and rural jobs,” he wrote.

Source: The Irish Times February 10, 2026 21:17 UTC