Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There were a lot of threads to the Deputy's question. I will, perhaps, focus my reply on the issue of student accommodation in recognition of the fact there will be a student protest today on that issue. Students have suffered a lot during this pandemic. They have seen changes to the leaving certificate cancelled and calculated grades. Many of them have had to experience college from home, from a bedroom or a boxroom. There have been no sports, no societies and no ability to socialise in a normal way.

We are now entering a new phase of the pandemic and, because of that, it is possible for students to go back on campus. That is something everyone in the House will welcome, but it does, of course, bring back into sharp focus the issue of student accommodation and the shortage thereof. The Government is very much aware of the challenges students face as they return to third level. We have responded by increasing the student assistance fund. Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the availability of bed spaces in on-campus accommodation. With the exception of National University of Ireland, NUI, Galway, shared rooms are not being offered this year, because of concerns around Covid. This removes the most affordable option available in most universities and decreases the number of places available. There is also evidence fewer people are willing to offer digs than was the case in previous years. Both these issues have contributed to the shortage this year.

The Departments of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science have been engaging on a number of issues, including the use of privately owned accommodation for other purposes, and this is contrary to the student accommodation strategy. The Government has also put in place measures in respect of affordability. As the Deputy will know, the cost of student accommodation is capped under the rent pressure zones. In addition, legislation brought forward by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to restrict the upfront payments that students used to be asked to pay has been passed. Previously, a student or his or her family was asked to pay a lump sum each term of €2,500 or €3,500; thankfully, that is now gone. Students also have the option to pay monthly. That lowers the upfront payment costs required for student accommodation and we think that can help against losses such as those suffered by students. In addition, under Housing for All, Ministers have secured Government approval to allow the new technological universities to borrow in order to build student accommodation, which, I think, will increase availability a great deal. One thing we need to see, which has been happening but needs to happen more and faster, is universities and technological universities building on-campus student accommodation on a cost-rental basis and thereby providing more options for students to live on campus or near campus and pay affordable rents.

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