CONFUSION over Airbnb and short-term lets is creating fear and uncertainty for small operators across West Cork, according to Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins TD.

He said the continued lack of clarity over the new national registration system have left operators unsure about the future viability of their business.

He added that the government needs to stop moving the goalposts and provide clear answers.

He said: “Once again, we are seeing ordinary people who have invested their own money, built up small businesses and provided accommodation to tourists being left wondering whether they will still have a livelihood in the months and years ahead.

“We are talking about families, small business owners, farmers, homeowners and people who have invested in properties and rely on this income.

“The government needs to distinguish between large-scale commercial operators and ordinary people who are letting out a property, a room or a holiday home and providing an important service to Ireland’s tourism industry.

“What we are seeing now is completely unacceptable. People are trying to make business decisions without knowing what the rules will actually be.

“How can someone invest, employ staff, take bookings or plan for next year when the Government cannot give them a straight answer about whether their business will be permitted to operate?”

He said businesses that have been in operation for decades should not be subject to retrospective planning restrictions arising from new regulations.

He warned the consequences would extend far beyond Airbnbs and that local pubs, restaurants, shops and tourist attractions would also be hit.

The Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) this week warned that the Affordable Housing Act would “negatively affect existing short-term rental businesses and add further fear and uncertainty for owners”.

The ISCF said clear evidence on all property use in Ireland is needed before restrictions are imposed on existing self-catering micro-businesses, mostly run by older women.