9 November 2026
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, last week raised the number of short-term lets available for the entire month of January in the Dáil. His research found that there were 404 entire homes to rent on Airbnb for the full month of January in Cork city. At the same time, there were just 158 homes for rent on daft.ie.
Deputy Gould said:
“The government are finally bringing forward legislation on short-term lets. It has taken a decade. That is a disgrace. In Cork city, my constituents could rent a full home on Airbnb for an entire month but can’t find somewhere to rent long-term. Many of these homes are owned by large companies that are making huge profits.
“While tourists stay in homes, Cork’s children grow up in hotels. That’s not just wrong, it’s totally backwards. Hotels and BnBs are built for tourists. Homes are built for families.
“Right across Europe, they have brought forward action on these Airbnbs. Why has it taken this government so long? They claim it is because they want to protect rural Ireland. That’s nonsense. They want to protect the profits of the speculators who benefit from this system.
“We want to see this legislation enacted quickly, properly and without any more delays. We want to see the regulation of short-term lets because we are in a housing emergency.
“There are three times more homes available to rent for a full month in Cork city alone on Airbnb than there are to rent longterm. That is a crisis. It requires an emergency response.”