Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is a significant undertaking to complete the leaving certificate examination and achieve the requisite points for one's desired third level course. That is before we consider the financial burden associated with pursuing higher education. Securing affordable accommodation presents an entirely different set of challenges. This issue, which we witness escalating annually across the country, has deteriorated to such an extent that we now encounter students resorting to living in tents or in their vehicles. The lack of availability of affordable accommodation has emerged as one of the most formidable obstacles confronting students.

The proposed changes could make it easier for homeowners to rent out rooms. This would mean more affordable places to rent, especially in areas where housing is expensive. The Bill sets out what the homeowners or licensers need to do.

This includes letting tenants live peacefully in their rented room and use facilities like the kitchen and bathroom. These protections could make people more interested in this kind of housing, thereby increasing demand for it. The changes aim to make things clearer regarding shared housing but could also lead to more disagreements between homeowners and tenants. This could mean more costs related to solving the disagreements, which could make rents higher. The changes define a student as someone studying full time. If these changes lead to more shared housing, they could affect how affordable housing is for students. While these changes do not directly make housing more affordable, they could have indirect effects by changing the supply and demand for shared housing; however, the exact impact would depend on many factors, such as how the changes are put into practice.

I thank Sinn Féin for introducing this legislation. Student accommodation is an extremely worrying issue for parents and students alike. I am aware of the pressure they are under because my office is inundated with student accommodation cases that need to be sorted out. If the legislation could help in some small way, we would certainly support it. We will scrutinise it very closely to make sure it does help and ensure students are looked after first and foremost.

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