Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ministers. As we are tight for time, I would like to raise two issues.

It is desirable and the objective is that where possible, students should be in publicly funded accommodation on campus or adjacent to campus. The problem is that much of the accommodation provided by third level institutions is through arm's length companies, which have taken an enormous financial hit in recent times. While students might have a contrary view, those companies often believe they need to increase rents. Many of them are financially unsustainable. Moreover, my understanding is that universities are at least discouraged, if not prohibited, from cross-funding these arm's length bodies. That is already a problem and I suspect it could be a growing problem. If these companies come under increasing pressure, rents could become increasingly higher putting them even further beyond the reach of students.

I have raised the issue of apprenticeships previously. While some public bodies are good, many of them are not the best at taking on apprentices. That needs to be looked at. I particularly highlight local authorities. Again, some are good, and some are not so good. The same is true of universities and other third level institutions. I was contacted by a tradesperson - I will not make him too identifiable - in one of the major universities. He has been trying to get an apprenticeship programme running in that university for some years. He has met resistance and would love to bring it on because the skills involved would be very particular and diverse. That issue needs to be examined in public bodies, including universities.