Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, talks about international obligations, he is talking about the need for the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, for example, to procure a lot of hotel accommodation for those fleeing war. We should not juxtapose people fleeing a terrible war with the student accommodation crisis. Many students would support the Government's approach in supporting refugees fleeing a terrible war. We need analysis. I do not believe that this will allow or facilitate third level education becoming the preserve of the rich. I do accept, however, that we need to take urgent measures - it will take time to get new blocks built - to bridge the viability gap between what universities say they can realistically construct in purpose-built student accommodation and what they could subsequently rent out to students at affordable prices. At the moment that gap is far too wide. Now they are asking the State to intervene to try to bridge that gap. The State is becoming, if you like, the house provider of last resort in a lot of situations in the current housing market, but we are looking at that very seriously.

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