Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not disagree with anything that the Deputy has said. I have asked institutions to continue doing what many of them already do, which is to set aside a certain amount of on-campus accommodation for first year students. They did that last year and it was helpful. We recently passed legislation which has done two things to help students with student accommodation. It was largely based on the USI Bill. It makes sure that students can no longer be asked for months of rent upfront, which was a real barrier. It changes the notice period so that if a person starts a course and cannot continue, he or she only has to give 28 days of notice in student accommodation rather than being out of pocket for many months. We have significantly increased mental health funding, with an additional €5 million for student mental health supports. I take the point the Deputy makes. We want students to know about this and about what will be in place for them long before having to go back to college. I genuinely believe that the Cabinet meeting on 19 July will help to provide further clarity. The outstanding issue is about whether it will be possible to have large-scale lectures. Other than that, we have said that almost everything else will be able to come back. I will do everything I can to expedite the provision of the funding so that we can provide it early.

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