Dáil debates

Wednesday, 28 April 2021

Residential Tenancies (Student Rents and Other Protections) (Covid-19) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members]

 

11:40 am

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

Like other Deputies, I thank the USI for driving this legislation in respect of the situation students were faced with last year. I thank Deputy Ó Broin, who also drove matters in the context of the drafting of this Bill. I was happy to sign the Bill on behalf of the Independent Group. I am speaking in support of the Bill, which I hope will get support from all sides of the House. I hope we can bring it through to Committee Stage as quickly as possible.

This is a straightforward issue. The situation is that students paid their college fees and arranged and paid for accommodation in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and other towns and cities. They then found themselves limited to online courses and were effectively barred from their college campuses due to Covid restrictions. They should be entitled to have their deposits and any rent paid refunded. This Bill will enable them to receive refunds. There is also a strong case for at least a partial refund of fees. These issues are dealt with in sections 1 to 7 of the Bill. Sections 8 and 9 are important in giving students who are in dispute with their landlords the right to refer the issues to the RTB. Beyond the issue dealt with in the Bill, there are other important changes which need to be made to the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, such as giving students in digs the right to appeal to the RTB.

I also want to make some points on private, purpose-built student accommodation in the south inner city, a large part of which I represent in the constituency of Dublin South-Central. There are 15 of these student specific developments under way in the area. Some will have their own gyms and cinemas and rents will range up to €2,000 per month. This is way beyond the means of the average student and his or her family. The south inner city needs urgent regeneration, as does the north inner city. There are a large amount of derelict buildings and the area suffers from a general air of neglect. Jobs, public housing and facilities for the community are needed. We are getting private student accommodation for the well off and hotels for tourists. Not many young people from the inner city will be able to get college degreed and they certainly will not be studying medicine in light of the huge fees involved.

The higher education system in Ireland is skewed against young working-class people. Fees should be abolished and every young person should have a choice of a college placement or an apprenticeship. The Government should support this Bill wholeheartedly, get it through Committee Stage and have it enacted.

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