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

Vulture funds are the biggest players in student accommodation thanks to the policies of this Government. Not only are their rents too high but the leases are far too long, with 51-week leases for a 39-week academic term. The Taoiseach told us in February, March and April that he would bring in legislation before the summer recess to change this. The summer recess is in three weeks and we have not heard a peep. It has now been proven that vulture funds are the thin end of the wedge. A graduate-entry medicine student at UL contacted me to say that he has only been offered a 51-week lease in UL-run accommodation. How can the Government possibly hope to pass this in the next three weeks? The Government is forcing students to take on these leases in September.

See this speech in context