Mr. Somhairle Brennan:

I know the Senator’s question was primarily directed at larger universities and those which have that purpose-built student accommodation, but it is very important to remember as well that many higher education institutions do not have purpose-built student accommodation and are entirely inaccessible. The reality is that I lived in someone’s shed, in their back garden, so I could complete fourth year. There was no student accommodation, and I know many people have had similar experiences. I am lucky that I am able-bodied and able to do that. However, many of my peers were not in a position to do that and people could not access their education simply because they had nowhere to live. Unfortunately, private purpose-built student accommodation prices out people who rely on grants and so on to live. The Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant, HEAR, DARE and all of those will not cover the cost of living in appropriate student accommodation. One is left literally taking what one can get. It is not a case of what is appropriate for those students; it is a case of what is available. That is where we see students getting taken advantage of left, right and centre.

There is a push at the moment with the Minister, Deputy McEntee, around landlords trying to introduce the likes of sex-for-rent schemes and stuff like that. It is atrocious and I look forward to seeing legislation on that. I am trying to engage in that regard at the moment. The accommodation crisis is something I have seen since I first started college and it is only getting worse. We forget that it will ultimately impact students with disabilities much more. It is already detrimental for a neurotypical student or someone who does not have a physical disability or something. One can only imagine how difficult it is for a student with further requirements and needs.