Dáil debates

Wednesday, 13 October 2021

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Student Accommodation

11:50 am

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

The Government gave €63 million to KBC Bank Ireland and Ulster Bank yesterday as a goodbye present as they exit the Irish market, so I ask the Minister not to tell me about the €60 million, which is less than that, which the Government gave to students. Students will be outside Dublin City Council today and I will be speaking to them, as will other Members. You need only talk to students to determine why they are on the streets. The issue of student accommodation was not an acute crisis ten years ago the way it is now. The issue of fees is a major barrier to us dealing with some of the skills shortages we have in this country. Anybody who is trying to do a masters or postgraduate degree will tell the Minister they are crippled by fees and the student nurses are still not being paid for placement. Student poverty is a reality, and it is not just bad for the students but it is also bad for our society. This was not seriously addressed in the budget and there were a lot more giveaways for the banks, the special assignee relief programme and God knows what else than there were for students.

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