Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleague, Deputy Eoin Ó Broin, for all of his work in this area. Everybody knows that there is a housing crisis. We speak about it regularly here. Sometimes the fact that students also require accommodation is forgotten about. A lot of the time students are in very substandard accommodation, as are many renters. In many cases people are afraid to bring any issue to their landlord because they are always afraid of the dreaded notice to quit. That is particularly the case for students because there is a theory or idea that students are not the best tenants. That is an unfair assessment, but it has to be acknowledged that many landlords would say it. That leads to some of the figures we hear such as that 60% of students have, at some point, had difficulty in trying to get their deposits back.

In the short time I have available I want to focus on people who are coming from rural areas such my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny and many other counties which do not necessarily have a university campus. Every year many students travel to Dublin, Galway, Cork and other areas. Moving away from home is a big stage in a person’s life. Seeing one’s children fly the nest, for want of better words, is also a big step for many parents. To think one’s kids are going to have to live in substandard accommodation in which they are afraid to raise any issue and for which they will pay extortionate rents is really unacceptable and puts added pressure on students from rural areas.

The SUSI grant has not been increased in the ten years since 2008. Students who receive the grant really struggle as it is to live on it and meet the cost of living while staying in education. Unfortunately, we see a huge number of students dropping out after their first year because they just cannot keep up with the cost of living. Students from rural backgrounds and areas are doubly disadvantaged because, in addition to trying to pay their fees and meet the cost of living, they also have to pay for rent and are moving into areas they do not necessarily know. There is a whole bunch of issues in that regard. Focusing on that aspect, the Bill will help those students. If they were able to access the services of the Residential Tenancies Board, they would be able to bring difficulties or issues to it. It would also be a great source of reassurance for parents in sending their children away to know that they had access to the same rights as other renters. It would also help them to be covered by the rent pressure zone legislation. The reality is that if something is not done about the level of rent students are paying and the difficulties they have in getting deposits back, many students will end up dropping out. We have already seen a huge drop-out rate. Most people will not say it has anything to do with their course but that it has to do with not being able to afford to meet the cost of living and being forced into employment. We all know that one’s chances are increased with a better education; therefore, we should be trying to keep students in education.

The quality of the place in which one lives and having access to an affordable rented property are big issues, particularly for students from rural areas.

The CAO points will not come out until August, but students are already having to try to find accommodation, even though they do not know what courses they will be offered. That is an indication of the level of pressure they are under. I urge Deputies to support the legislation in order that students can be covered by the Residential Tenancies Board and the rent pressure zones and given the same opportunities as other renters.

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