Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Paul Murphy and Barry.

I thank Deputies Ó Broin and Conway-Walsh for using Private Members' time to bring forward this Bill. Most importantly, I commend and congratulate the USI on what already appears to be a successful campaign of people power. That should be said. As a result of its campaigning on this issue, it appears that it has forced the Government to respond, somewhat belatedly, in respect of an issue that has been raised from the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, the issue of the lack of proper rights for student tenants predates the Covid crisis, but it has been particularly highlighted during it. An absolute minimum requirement to support our students is that they should be extended the same rights as other renters or tenants, although it should be said that the rights of renters and tenants who are not students are also completely inadequate. However, at a minimum students should not have to pay more than a month in advance and one month's deposit, and they should be able to get refunds where they are unable to take up accommodation because of Covid-19. The fact that the Government is allowing this Bill to progress to Committee Stage and that it is also talking about a Bill of its own to cover the same issues is a victory for people power. I hope students understand that. It is campaigning and people power on the part of students that is forcing change. They deserve the biggest credit.

This Bill touches on just one of a large number of barriers. I should say that barriers continue to be erected. It is not just that they are not being dismantled, in many ways barriers are continuously erected against students, particularly working-class students and those from lower-income families, to be able to access third level, higher, further and postgraduate education. Students are caught up in the disaster of the housing crisis and extortionate rents. The situation is being exploited by investment funds in the context of shockingly extortionate, so-called purpose-built student accommodation and by universities that are increasingly acting more like big business than places of education to support students getting through their education and fulfilling their potential. That is absolutely unacceptable. We must control the price of student accommodation. We need purpose-built, public student accommodation with affordable rents in order that students can afford to study in comfort and that they and their families will not be not put under massive financial pressure, a pressure that is added to by the disgrace of the student contribution fee, which is one of the highest in Europe. Then there is the total inadequacy of grants, for those who can get them, in terms of finding accommodation.

I highlighted this issue recently. I will use this opportunity to raise it again because another aspect of the story emerged this week . This is just one instance in terms of postgraduate education whereby psychologists, who face huge fees of €7,000 to €15,000, must work on placement for free and are then somehow expected to pay the rent. How are they supposed to pay these rents?

To add insult to injury, however, this week, the HSE advertised assistant psychology posts, with a full range of duties at 20 hours per week, for people who are mostly trying to get on to doctorates of psychology, where they would work for the HSE for free. They would deal with clients and GPs, write reviews, deal with the literature and do all the work of psychologists while working for free. How are they supposed to pay the rent? It is absolutely unbelievable. The head of the HSE is getting in the region of €400,000. A massive pay increase is being talked about in respect of the Department of Health and yet student psychologists are being asked to work for free for the HSE. It is unbelievable.

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