Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend and thank the Union of Students in Ireland, Deputies Ó Broin and Conway-Walsh, and everyone who worked on this legislation. The fact that this piece of work is student union-driven is important. It means this solution is coming directly from the people most affected and shows the meaningful role young people and unions can play in making positive change.

There is no doubt that students have missed out over the past year and throughout the pandemic in doing lectures online, coping with bad network connections and sometimes trying to work off their mobile phones, as well as not being able to have face-to-face human interactions with fellow students. On top of that, many of them had to deal with the logistical nightmare of sorting out their accommodation.

Student accommodation is an issue that disproportionately affects rural areas, like my own county of Wexford, more than others because most students have no choice but to move away to attend third level education due to poor transport options and the lack of availability of courses more locally. Hopefully, a university for the south east will be a step in the right direction in that regard.

Over the past year, with most classes moving totally online, many students are paying for accommodation they cannot avail of. This is not right. Extended profiteering from this pandemic should be scorned.

This Bill legislates for the prompt refunding of accommodation fees if the accommodation is not taken up or is vacated due to Covid-19 related public health restrictions. This is an essential protection for many families. For example, one of my constituents was in a position where she paid €5,000 for accommodation she did not use over the past year and she was told that they would only get €800 of this back which she still has not received. Her mother and father are self-employed and are only barely hanging on.

Leaving Covid-19 aside, student tenants need decent digs and greater protection. If this Bill becomes law, a student in student-specific accommodation will have the legal right to serve a landlord with a notice of termination of 28 days. Providers of student-specific accommodation would also be prevented from charging more than one month's rent in advance. These protections together will alleviate some of the financial strain ordinary students and their families face when trying to access third level education and accommodation and would spread the cost and make it more manageable for working families.

There is a lot of discussion about looking after the mental well-being of young people. There is no doubt that providing students and their parents with stronger protective laws in the area of student accommodation can only have an enduring and positive outcome for years to come. For that reason alone, this Bill should be supported by all Deputies who value and care about the younger generation.

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