Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for this opportunity. I have met some of them, and actually visited some. The sense that I got when I came away from meeting them was that we are not just talking about buildings here but also about the people within them, and how the universities are trying their best to enhance the student experience. That comes across very clearly, particularly from the talk about all the strategising and analysis that is done. The witnesses are doing this for the students, not themselves.

On the repurposing of student accommodation, what shocked me most was not just that it was repurposed but also that it was left vacant for a year. Am I correct about that? In the middle of an accommodation crisis, to have any vacancy for a year is absolutely scandalous. I hope this was not replicated around the country. Last week, the student union representatives we had before us were telling us about this.

Do the witnesses know how many students have availed of the rent a room scheme? That was another initiative which had to be addressed. Unfortunately, students are saying that digs are their last resort. Not all digs work out badly; some students have had a very positive experience. However, there are severe issues with digs. This something that we are trying to work on. The fact that you could be turfed out on the road tomorrow by your landlord is an issue, but there should be protections in place for both landlords and students.

As Professor Cusack said, having beds for just 0.4% of the student population points to blatant inequity. Do the witnesses know the figures for dropouts as a result of a lack of accommodation or the fact that accommodation is not affordable? Some parents who have come to me are actively trying to persuade their children not to go on to further or higher education, simply because of affordability. We are going back to circumstances in which education will be for the privileged. We cannot have that.

Another big issue that came up was accommodation scams. I visited 18 students who are living in a two-bedroom house in Limerick. These were international students, so they did not have local knowledge. They landed and did not know each other. An advertisement given to them indicated they were to be sharing with three others. They all landed together with their suitcases. They could not even fit into the house. Once again, it falls back onto the universities to try to put some measures in place to tackle this. It is another administrative burden. Are measures being put in place to address this? If students, international or otherwise, are being scammed, it is not a good picture to send out to those considering further and higher education.

We all know that, with the inequity, student life should include on-campus accommodation. There are those who feel isolated from their fellow students because they have long commutes. Some of them have to work long, hard hours as well as study.

The RPZ rules give rise to another issue that might be coming down on the witnesses. Borrowing should definitely be considered immediately. All the plans, analysis and land are in place, so I cannot see a reason the universities are not just trusted to do what needs to be done. As stated, there needs to be equality for all.