Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is welcome. The Minister, Deputy Harris, will be in the Dáil to answer questions next week and I hope he will acknowledge that, because parents paying for students' rent should be entitled to the credit. Rent is rent at the end of the day.

What is disappointing is we can predict accurately, based on the number of babies born today, how many students are going to need accommodation in 19 or 20 years' time. There must be an acknowledgement of the failure there and we must learn from it. It is inevitable there must be a capital investment to make the 3,000-plus beds financially viable and that needs to be done sooner rather than later. This Government is very good at looking at things but I ask for immediate action on behalf of the students who are out protesting today. I acknowledge the great work they have done to stand up for themselves but we in this House must also stand up for them and hear what they are saying. Their families are under pressure and they are under pressure and it must stop.

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