Irish Self Catering Federation

20/10/2026

The ISCF Conference is talking place in Killashee for the holiday lets industry on 23/11/2026. Register for STR at Irish And EU level. How to Navigate the Registration and Legislation .Ai helping Improve my service and savings. All holiday lets, self-catering and glamping owners welcome Tickets on this link https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/iscf-conference-2026-members-ticket-tickets

18/10/2026

Ghost unfinished housing estates have been around since the 2008 crash. There were 123 Ghost Estates in 2021, in 2023 there were 75 left. Today at least 58 remain. Donegal had the highest number of ghost estates at 12, followed by Tipperary with ten and Leitrim with seven and only 1 estate CPO in Tipperary in Sept 2026. Something does not add up.

Tipperary County Council was the only local authority to apply to the commission for a CPO last month.

15/10/2026

National Women’s Enterprise Day does not bring any clarity on how SME holiday lets business can continue in 2027.
A press release, but no Register for STR Bill. T
elling owners will need to apply for planning, but whole country still an RPZ area and no derogation for existing STR owners.
No National Planning statement for new businesses.
So its National Women’s Enterprise day but not if you work in tourism?

Many fear they will have to cancel bookings made for next year

14/10/2026

If you own a holiday let, cabin, heritage house, shepherds hut or other self-catering rented for up to 21 nights in Ireland you need to be informed.
Attend the ISCF Conference on 23/11 and get details on
How the EU is Going to Affect your Businesses;
The Register for STR- What you need to know;
Help improve your services and saving in running the business.
Tickets on this link https://iscf.ie/conference-2026/

13/10/2026

The Dept of Housing do not understand the tourism issues. Regional operators believe they are unfairly marginalised by the legislation.
They are making a rule for the country based on an issue in Dublin. Hotels are over 90% occupancy level on average. We don’t have over 90% occupancy in short-term rental but our market consists of multi-generational families, couples, small groups, who will often stay in an area for longer than if they stayed in a hotel.
This is going to seriously reduce the number of tourists in rural Ireland. Holiday Lets make up the 2nd largest group of tourism beds in Ireland and may be desimated by the IRish Government gold Plating EU Legislation

Why some accommodation hosts believe that bolting planning requirements to a new short-term letting bill will damage Irish tourism, writes Pavel Barter for H&R Times

11/10/2026

Balance, fairness and proportionality needed in planning for existing STR businesses, so the planning system is not flooded with applications.
What becomes of the SME Family holiday lets businesses who are in the 25 town above 20,000 population, if the Register for STR is introduced in Dec 26 as promised.
Even if National Planning Statement is introduced by Dept Housing- will they be able get planning permission by Jan 2027?
What about developing new STR in rural areas? And still no answer from Dept Housing to ISCF, and Dublin Enquirer

It depends, in part, on whether the owners can prove they've been holiday lets for more than seven years – and whether planning enforcement noticed.

09/10/2026

Affordable Housing Act will be debated by Cynthia ni Mhurchu and others at the ISCF Conference on 23/11/2026. Tickets on this. Eventbrite link https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/iscf-conference-2026-tickets-for-members-non-members-tickets-1999012001709?

Restrictions on short-term rentals alone cannot solve Europe’s housing crisis.

What it will do is create additional regulatory uncertainty for hosts in Ireland while ignoring the root cause of the housing crisis.

08/10/2026

Dept Housing at JOC is worth a read. The NPS did not have engagement from the sector - because there was no facility to get planning in RPZ areas since 2019 and all areas from 6/2025. This is still in place with no clarity for LEA planners. No Consultation or talks with STR industry or ITIC who represent tourism since 6/2025.
Dept of Housing working in its own silo with no regard for SME Businesses or tourism needs. Empty buildings all over Dublin city, but no plans to use for housing needs as some owned by semi-state bodies such as HSE.
https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/34/joint_committee_on_enterprise_tourism_and_employment/submissions/2025/2025-12-10_opening-statement-paul-hogan-assistant-secretary-general-department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage_en.pdf

07/10/2026

A Register for STR in line with EU regulations will be in place by December according to Press Release. However there are a few pieces lacking -
1 The JOC sign off on the Register for STR Bill and associated National Planning Statement.
2 The Register for STR Bill published.
3 The National Planning Statement from Dept of Housing, referred to in the Register for STR Press Release and associated simplified planning process.
Government please advice on timeline compatibility.

Growth of often controversial sector and difficulty contacting hosts key reasons for new legislation

06/10/2026

Not all did well from budget day. The Register for STR Bill Press Release was issued by Dept Enterprise Tourism and Employment but there were some parts missing. No approval from JOC Oireachtas Committee. No details of the Register for STR Bill to be seen, so not approved by Gov. No National Planning Statement (NPS) which controls if you can get on the Register for STR. NO proportionality, no balance and more likely to close down STR, unlike to rural pubs.
Confused - you need to be a member of the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF.ie), the trade body for the Short Term Rental Sector in Ireland.

https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/news-and-events/department-news/2026/october/20261006.html

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