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

Will the Minister say when the strategy will be published? Despite being in this role for only a few months, from going around the different universities and speaking to them I think the issue of affordability stems both from the housing crisis and from the issue whereby we are seeing really high-spec accommodation people would never be able to afford. Even if you were working full time, you would not be able to afford that kind of high-spec accommodation. That comes from the for-profit model universities have to operate because of the funding gap. They obviously then have to rent it out over the summer months. As a result, it obviously impacts on students with regard to affordability.

I also have a question about the digs and money coming back. Usually for that tax credit people have to be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. As most of those digs obviously are not, what is the exact story there and how would that work?

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