Dr. Joseph Ryan:

I thank the Deputy for his question. We are not coming with the solution; we are coming with the argument for the conversation. It goes back to the point made earlier by Mr. Miley that demand is certainly there for accommodation but the metrics are not working now for the students. If we are allowed to borrow now and we do build accommodation, it just is not going to be within the budget of students. My office is located not too far from here. There is beautiful student accommodation right across the road from it but one will not find the average Irish student living there. That is not the ballpark they are in. I am open to advice in respect of this and how it is done but, as Minister himself has said - he is open to this conversation - it seems that without direct Government support on this, the model of us building accommodation and then selling it or renting it out at that price is simply not going to be within the purview of students.