Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have had this discussion before, and I understand the point the Minister of State made then and makes now that this is an important and a distinct category and that under-provision of student accommodation has meant demands on the private rented sector. However, the point I made then and which I make again now is that we have this urgency and this efficiency in getting student accommodation built - I will leave the other issues for the moment - but a student population is transient. Students are in situfor perhaps seven, possibly eight, months of the year, so there are another four months during which this student accommodation will be available for Airbnb or whatever else. This is a major profit-making opportunity for the builder, for the developer. One of the biggest housing issues I am seeing is the difficulty single men face. When I look at the increase in student accommodation, I do not see it bringing down the housing list. Yet we want the social mix. Why was there no discussion with those who provide student accommodation on the possibility of having some for single people. They could go through the Garda vetting and references and everything else, but then they would have the accommodation for 12 months, or permanently. This, rather than student accommodation, would make a difference to the housing lists.

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