We are again being told that these are only technical amendments and that nothing is changing. However, in places like west Cork and in Killarney, County Kerry, next door to us, that reassurance rings hollow. These sections lock in a planning regime that was never designed with coastal rural communities in mind. They copper-fasten restrictions on short-term letting that hit family homes, small operators and tourism-dependent villages while doing nothing to address the real causes of the housing crisis. In west Cork, short-term letting is not about speculation or corporate landlords; it is about ordinary households renting a room or a home for part of the year to keep local tourism alive and to make ends meet in areas with limited employment options. This Bill preserves a one-size-fits-all approach that treats rural communities in the same way as inner-city Dublin. It does not deliver housing supply, tackle vacancy and dereliction or distinguish between large-scale operators and local families. We will be proposing amendments. I hope they will be accepted. We could then sit around the table to work on delivery. The Bill will remove accommodation from the tourism market, damage local economies and undermine livelihoods across west Cork, all without producing a single affordable home. Until the Government recognises that rural Ireland needs a different and balanced approach, I cannot support measures that punish rural communities while failing to solve the housing issue. Part of this Bill relates to short-term lets. The situation in that regard is very serious. I have seen it myself. This legislation is going to come before the people next May. People the length and breadth of west Cork have been asking me about it because we depend on short-term lets. I am genuinely not sure where the Minister of State's constituency is.

Sentiment score: -0.05

It is Waterford. Waterford depends on tourism so the Minister of State will know all about it. It is a lovely place. Many people depend on the little bit of income from Airbnb, operating bed and breakfast accommodation or letting out a second home or whatever for the short term. They have very serious concerns. They will now have to fill out a form and be registered. They have no problem with registering. They are not afraid to be registered. However, there are very serious concerns about having to seek planning permission. According to this Bill, they will not be allowed to operate without it. That is on the form as of now. Perhaps the Government is going to change it. That is where my amendments will come into play. If that is not changed, these places will end up being shut down. That is an astonishing attack on tourism. We cannot let that happen here. It looks like it is happening. We have been pleading about this for the last year and a half here in the Dáil, in the audiovisual room and in other places. Meeting after meeting has been held on this issue across the road in Buswells Hotel. The Government is treating Courtmacsherry in the very same way as Dublin 4. That does not work and the Minister of State should not even dream that it does. A woman in west Cork told me last week that she has packed up because of the terror of this legislation going through. She said that she and her friend had packed up. They said to hell with it; they are sick of it. Will the Minister of State listen to me for two minutes for God's sake? If he does not, no one else will. This woman told me that this meant ten bedrooms gone in her corner of the community. She is not going into the business again. She has packed up because of this legislation. She talked about the number of people who had booked rooms with her who went into Clonakilty or Bandon to have a bit of food or a pint. They used local taxis and the local transport bus to come and go. The Government is going to block all of that with this legislation. Will the Minister of State wake up? This is not going to work. If it does go through, the Government parties will be run out of west Cork in the next election. The Minister of State keeps nodding over there but I will send this on to him. I am having a public meeting at 7 p.m. next Friday in O'Donovan's Hotel on this issue alone. I will stand by the tourism sector in west Cork. I will stand by the people of west Cork. I will not turn my back on them. The Minister of State keeps nodding over there but I will send it on to him.

Sentiment score: -0.03

I will send it on to him so that he can have a look. If I am wrong, I will stand up and thank the Minister of State very much.

Sentiment score: -0.08

I am not saying it for the camera. I am saying it for the people of west Cork. How dare you insult the people of west Cork? You should not dare open your mouth like that. If you do not know what you are doing, you should not be there at all. How dare you say that? The people of west Cork are going to lose their income. They are crying in my offices. They are crying without a house because the Government cannot supply them with one. God almighty, what is wrong with you? I had a lovely girl in front of me yesterday. After many years, she had got an eviction notice the day before. I said that she had not slept since she got it and she said that she had not and that she could not sleep with the worry. Another woman told me she cannot get social housing because she and her partner both work. She was crying in my office on Saturday because they cannot get a home. We have a serious crisis and instead of dealing with it the Government is attacking the tourism sector.

Sentiment score: -0.21