Airbnb: Cabinet to discuss plan to limit short-term lets

Draft report says there are 28,903 short-term lets in Ireland — 40% in cities, with Dublin accounting for 32% of such lets

Housing minister James Browne will bring short-term lets statement to Cabinet — and will also announce funding for 82 projects under the €1bn Housing Infrastructure Investment fund. Stock picture: Alamy

Ministers will discuss plans to crack down on short-term lets in a bid to bring some of the nearly 30,000 homes on Airbnb back into private usage.

Housing minister James Browne will bring the short-term lets planning statement to Cabinet this morning.

A register for short-term lets was supposed to come into effect last month, but it was delayed until December following disagreements in the Government.

Ministers will be told that the Housing Agency commissioned consultants Indecon to research the impact of short-term lets on the rental sector in January 2026.

The draft report indicates that there are 28,903 short-term lets in Ireland. About 40% of these are in cities, with Dublin accounting for 9,186 short-term lets (32%).

Under new rules, no new planning permission will be provided for short-term lets in towns with a population of more than 20,000.

This will see crackdowns in Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, and Galway cities, as well as 20 other towns.

If a person can prove that they are using a residential property as a short-term let for at least seven years, they can seek planning permission to retain their service.

Funding for 82 housing projects 

Mr Browne will also announce funding for 82 projects under the €1bn Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund today, Tuesday. 

The funding will enable the delivery of 86,000 homes, and provide the potential for a further 113,000.

All counties are expected to receive funding — except for Longford, which did not apply.

Proposed safeguards against SLAPPs 

Elsewhere, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan will ask ministers to approve the Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) Bill.

A SLAPP often sees legal letters sent threatening action, initiated against those engaging in public participation to penalise, prevent, and restrict such activity.

They are often issued to journalists, threatening expensive defamation cases in a bid to stop information being published.

Mr O’Callaghan’s proposed legislation will introduce several safeguards, including early dismissal of cases, security for costs, and the ability for those targeted by SLAPPs to seek compensation, more generous costs, and to be assisted by the intervention of third parties.

They will also include a prohibition on the recognition and enforcement of judgments made in SLAPP proceedings outside the EU, and a mechanism for Irish residents to seek compensation in Irish courts for SLAPP proceedings taken against them outside the EU.

Defamation as a SLAPP vehicle was addressed under the recently passed Defamation Act, but SLAPP cases can arise in many other contexts, with the legislation set to apply to all commercial and civil matters.

New derelict property tax proposal

Elsewhere, Tánaiste Simon Harris will brief Cabinet on plans to introduce a new derelict property tax in 107 cities and towns from next year that will be administered by Revenue.

The tax will initially apply to properties located in areas with populations of 4,000 or more. This will include 107 cities and towns, including Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway cities.

A second phase will extend the measure to a further 64 towns with populations of 2,000 or more.

There are 19,438 residential derelict properties across the State.

Some €26m in derelict site levies had been imposed but remained uncollected at the end of 2024, with 11 local authorities collecting no levies at all.

Move to scrap Dublin Airport passenger cap

Transport minister Darragh O’Brien will seek approval from Government for the publication of a bill that will abolish the contentious passenger cap at Dublin Airport before the Dáil rises in mid-July.

The current cap limits the number of people who can travel through Dublin Airport to 32 million a year.

Sources said the proposal is a “highly intricate piece of legislation”, involving significant back-and-forth discussions and extensive legal advice.

Public sector pay

Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers will outline how his department will approach a potential new public sector pay deal.

The current deal will expire at the end of the month, with Mr Chambers telling Cabinet that he has instructed his officials to establish if there is a basis to commence formal discussions with trade unions.

National security 

Higher education minister James Lawless will seek approval to introduce Ireland’s first national research security guidelines, as concerns grow internationally about espionage, intellectual property theft, and foreign interference targeting universities and research labs.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will brief Cabinet on Ireland’s wellbeing framework and a report examining 2020 to 2025.

The report will say the country has seen strong employment growth, improved public finances, improvements in key housing metrics and continued high trust in democratic institutions.

The areas of mental health, road deaths, and cost of living for lower-income households will be highlighted as challenges.

• Louise Burne, Political Correspondent  
• Elaine Loughlin, Political Editor