Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Most people understand that this type of renting is not the same as renting a full housing unit. Many of those who rent out their rooms are decent, kind and honest people who look after students really well, and the rules will not apply to them. This is not always the case, however, and we do not legislate on that basis. We legislate to protect people from unscrupulous landlords and we know there are more than a few of them.

I will highlight a few examples I got from students. Last year, one student, who was living in digs in Blanchardstown, was told to sleep on the couch and give up the room they had been renting when the landlord's son unexpectedly came home from college midweek. In another case, a landlord did not want the student to be in the house when the family were in the kitchen, and they could not eat there or cook. The room of another student, who was renting in well-known private rented accommodation, was full of mould and they had to share it with eight people. There was faulty electricity wiring in the room, with sockets hanging from the wall. It was so bad that the accommodation had to be shut, in one of those rare occasions. As most students will agree, that is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Bill brought forward by Sinn Féin will provide reasonable protections for tenants and students. It also includes protections for landlords, who will be protected in their ability to collect rent. As noted, older people, in particular, may feel intimidated. As for why we should do this, we are providing significant tax relief of up to €14,000, which is very generous, so we should ensure student renters, who constitute the majority of those in this part of the rental sector, have at least some protections in return. We need to ensure greater affordability, security and protection for student renters and end what is known as the wild west of the rental sector, which seems to have no rules.

I ask the Minister of State to support the Bill and to join Sinn Féin in standing up for students, because they need our support in this sector.

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