Mr. Michael Roche:

I might come in here. UCD recently launched its annual digs drive and, thankfully, it was the most successful in our history. We created the most community housing that we ever had within the university itself so I want to give credit to my sabbatical officers for that achievement.

Digs are not an ideal solution but can help. When it works, it can work really well, particularly for elderly people who like the security of having a young person in their home - as comical as it may sound, that a student is a security guard. It can actually work when it is done right and it can build community as well, which is also important.

The other side of it, as has already been mentioned, is sex for rent. A student came to me who was unable to boil her kettle past 9 p.m. Then there is also the issue of occupancy on weekends, where students find they do not actually have the right of occupancy on the weekends. If someone is able to take advantage of the rent-a-room scheme for up to €14,000 annually, but that room is going to lay vacant for two days of the week, we must look at how that €14,000 is calculated on the basis of occupancy that is not necessarily there. Regulations around that certainly need to come in.

Regulations around sex for rent also need to come in. Then there are also the conditions when the student enters the home. It is obviously a negotiation when you are living with anyone but greater protections are needed. I do not know what form they would take. There probably needs to be a wider consultation on that. That is where are coming from in UCD anyway.