Wicklow

Change county

Labour calls for action on short-term lets as one Wicklow area has 1,000 ads on Air BnB

Ian McGahon, John Kenna, Cllr Paul O'Brien, Labour MEP candidate Niamh Hourigan, Anne Waithira Burke and Aoife Caomhánach, at the bandstand in Bray. Photo: Leigh Anderson.

Julie Kelleher, Artistic Director of Mermaid Arts Centre, with Cllr Anne Ferris, Chairperson of Mermaid Arts Centre, Niamh Hourigan, Labour Candidate for Europe, and Ivana Bacik, Leader of the Labour Party.

thumbnail: Ian McGahon, John Kenna, Cllr Paul O'Brien, Labour MEP candidate Niamh Hourigan, Anne Waithira Burke and Aoife Caomhánach, at the bandstand in Bray. Photo: Leigh Anderson.
thumbnail: Julie Kelleher, Artistic Director of Mermaid Arts Centre, with Cllr Anne Ferris, Chairperson of Mermaid Arts Centre, Niamh Hourigan, Labour Candidate for Europe, and Ivana Bacik, Leader of the Labour Party.
Tom Galvin
© Bray People

Labour Candidate for the European Parliament Election in Ireland South, Niamh Hourigan, has called for action on short-term lets after discovering on a visit to Bray that there were over 1,000 short-term lets advertised on Air BnB, at a time when people locally are crying out just for a place to live.

“There are currently over 1,000 short-term lets advertised on Air BnB in Bray, versus only 10 on daft.ie,” she said.

“To date this huge short-term rental market has been under-regulated, exacerbating our housing supply crisis. Labour have repeatedly called for action at European level to limit or regulate short-term lets,” she added.

A cursory search on the Air BnB website for the first week of April returns a shock ‘over 1,000 places in Bray’ response, with prices ranging from €74 a night for a single room, to almost €400 for a three-bed home. Granted, some of the lets are bordering on South County Dublin, while others take in the towns of Greystones, Delgany and surrounding areas.

By contrast, just 10 lets are advertised on daft.ie, the cheapest being a one-bed apartment for €1,192 on Quinnsborough Road, Bray, and the most expensive being a small, three-bed house for €2,300.

“A bill passed by the Socialists and Democrats in the European parliament recently proves that EU institutions can be part of the solution to our housing crisis,” Ms Hourigan continued.

Read more

“It requires platforms to insist that short-term letting hosts are given a registration number, that information provided by hosts is correct and that authorities will be able to take action in cases of fraudulent use of the platforms.

“This is the starting point for better regulation for local authorities and shows that the EU could have a real transformative impact in our housing crisis if our representatives at EU level can push strongly enough for it.”

The Ireland South EU Candidate also said on her visit that Wicklow County Council must invest further in flooding relief, particularly given the concerns that local people have raised about flooding of the Dargle River.

“We all know that flooding is becoming an increasing concern as the climate heats up. It poses a direct threat to residents in areas near rivers which are in danger of bursting its banks.

“I am calling on Wicklow County Council to invest further in flood relief, and to monitor rivers like the Dargle, which are in danger of flooding. Climate change is the global issue but managing a just transition is important at local National and EU level,” she concluded.

Read more