Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I raised yesterday with the Leader the issue of price increases for student accommodation in the various campuses around the country. Another issue of great importance to many students is the number of student deposits retained at the end of the academic year by on-campus accommodation providers. At one stage, almost two out of every three students had had a deposit unjustifiably retained according to the evidence of the Union of Students in Ireland. With this in mind, I ask the Leader to provide the House with a progress report on the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) (Amendment) Bill which is to introduce a deposit protection scheme. Aside from the impact on students, the illegal and unlawful retention of deposits is one of the main issues leading to homelessness in Ireland.