Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The crisis in the rental sector and the housing emergency affect every part of our society. It affects every household and family. The Government always says that people want to rent and that they should have the opportunity to do so. There is one cohort of people who are really reliant on the rental sector, namely, students. Today I met with representatives of the Union of Students in Ireland. Its prebudget submission was all about housing. Of course the housing emergency impacts on students. It used be that groups of a few students in Galway could come together and rent a house but because of the housing crisis, that is long gone. So many young people are locked out of third level education because they cannot afford the fees under this Government or housing by any stretch. The Government’s solution to this is to build unaffordable accommodation. It tells us that it is bringing forward student accommodation but it is at rents that students simply cannot afford.

The other matter on which the Government is focusing is digs. When I was in college 12 years ago, digs were an option. And it is a fantastic option, especially for first years going into a new place. But this is the Government’s solution. It terrifies me that there is no regulation or protection for students. Student after student, and student union after student union tell me there is no regulation. They say there is no notice period. I heard of one fellow having to leave in the middle of the night. There is no lock on the door so people can come in and out of rooms. Students have to leave their digs early on a Friday morning and cannot come back until Monday morning. There are all sorts of things. Digs are an important part of a housing solution for students but they are not the only solution.

The Government loves to tell us it is prudent but it is giving a tax relief of €14,000 and does not even have protections or regulations in place for the students who are living there. It has to be sensible and workable for those renting out their rooms but there must be protections for students.

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