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

RTÉ has just reported that the proportion of third level students not progressing from first year to second year has risen to 15%. The proportion is almost one quarter for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The reality is that the student accommodation crisis continues to go from bad to worse. Vulture funds now own more student accommodation in Dublin than all the Dublin universities combined. The same goes for the Tánaiste's home county of Cork and the situation is now almost the same in my home county of Galway. To rent a room the size of a car-parking space, students must pay over €1,000 per month. The majority of the investment-fund-owned complexes now have some form of requirement for a 51-week lease, meaning parents have to fork out up to €15,000 per year. Over the life cycle of a degree, that can reach almost €60,000. Will the Tánaiste, at the very least, legislate to ensure the setting of a maximum lease period of 39 weeks? This is the length of the academic year. Will he commit to supporting me and my colleagues regarding an Teachta Ó Broin's new student digs legislation?

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