Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. Deputy Mattie McGrath and Councillor Máirín McGrath were watching the budget closely yesterday. They were more than surprised that there was no mention of student accommodation in this year's budget, despite the housing crisis receiving significant attention. This has been described as "disappointing" by the president of Trinity College's student union. The announcement of an increase of 3,300 in third level places without any action on student accommodation illustrates this Government's disjointed strategies. This situation is important to the people of County Tipperary. As I said, they welcome the technological university in the towns of Clonmel and Thurles, but accommodation remains a huge issue for the people of County Tipperary and the people of Cork South-West. It is a huge issue for people in the constituency I represent because people are trying to commute to Cork and back. These are massive journeys of an hour or an hour and a half.

I heard Deputy Danny Healy-Rae speaking about Kerry last night. He told the same story of people from Kerry who are going to university in Cork. They have to live at home because they cannot get accommodation. The price of accommodation is spiralling out of control. People in Cork South-West have come to me to say that their children who attend college in Galway cannot get accommodation, so they are all couch-surfing. It is no way for children to have to live when they are working on their education.

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