Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

8. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his Department's plans to provide adequate protections for students renting in digs accommodation. [14649/25]

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister the very best of luck in his new role. I look forward to working with him. How does the Government plan to protect third level students who are in digs accommodation? Over recent weeks and months, we have had people into the audiovisual room explaining the very difficult situation they are in with regard to their accommodation. Digs accommodation may not be the first preference for many students and it may not be ideal for either the student or the landlord but, in a housing crisis, it is often the best option they have.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. She mentioned the audiovisual room presentations and so forth. As I have told the House this morning, I am a new Minister and am reading into the brief. If Members know of groups or interested parties who wish to engage with me, they should feel free to direct them my way. I cannot guarantee I will meet everybody every time but I will do my best to meet with stakeholder groups and take their points on board.

As the Deputy will know, digs accommodation is a long-established and traditional source of student accommodation that remains popular. I will continue to encourage and support it. We need as many rooms and accommodation options as possible. I am committed to making sure that the student experience and quality of student life remain as high as possible. I am conscious of students having long commutes and how that can detract from college life. Ultimately, student accommodation is needed in all its forms. It is something I am sure we will return to in these debates and something I will be focusing on.

The Deputy's question is on the need to safeguard students in digs accommodation and how that might be done. In line with the Housing for All objectives to increase protections in the private rental accommodation sector, in 2023 my Department published a voluntary regulatory framework and sample licence agreement for use by students and homeowners. This identified the key issues to consider when entering a licence agreement for digs accommodation. Previously, it was somewhat ad hoc and more of a private contractual relationship. I hope that guidance has been helpful. That licence agreement should be of assistance to those entering into such arrangements. That framework and licence agreement are on the Government website. I can send them to the Deputy if she does not have them but they are certainly available online. They have also been shared with all higher education institutions to allow them to be included on their respective student accommodation websites. We are trying to get that message and that sample agreement document out there.

My Department also offers economic support for students experiencing financial difficulties. The student assistance fund can assist students in third level institutions who are experiencing exceptional financial need. That is available to students who are unable to meet costs associated with day-to-day participation, including the payment of rent and utility bills. We had a discussion about SUSI grants and different supports a few moments ago but these are additional supports for students in exceptional circumstances. I will engage further in my supplementary replies.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that. I agree that there needs to be a variety of accommodation. My own daughter is in college and travels quite a long distance to get there-----

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As does mine.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

-----because there is no on-campus accommodation, which would be ideal for a great many people. It is also very expensive. I live in Dublin 8 and quite a lot of student accommodation was built in the area over recent years. However, it is totally unaffordable for the average student with rents of €1,250 per month. If it is a five-week month, it is €1,350. That accommodation is totally unaffordable for most students. Digs accommodation is affordable but the difficulty is that, as we have heard over the last while, students can be thrown out at a moment's notice and there is no protection. I am a little bit concerned that the protection the Minister has mentioned is voluntary. It should not be voluntary but mandatory.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My daughter also commutes to college and I would prefer if she did not have to commute such a distance. I see at first hand that it can detract from quality of life. I have met student unions, most recently the union in Maynooth, and have heard that message conveyed. I completely get it and appreciate it.

On the framework being voluntary rather than mandatory, there is always a risk at a time when we are trying to increase supply and where there have been traditional arrangements in respect of digs accommodation. It is not quite the same as a tenancy or private rental arrangement. There is a degree of informality about it. There is a balance to be struck if we are to avoid scaring potential digs providers out of the market. It is often a "mom and pop" operation, a householder with a spare room or an elderly person who takes someone in during the college week. It arises in those types of situations. Of course, we need to protect students and all of those entering into arrangements but that must be balanced against the risk of an overly burdensome framework discouraging those people from participating, which would lead to a shortage of supply, which also would not be a good thing.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The flipside is that parents sending children into digs accommodation cannot be sure they will be fully protected. That is also a challenge. I agree with the Minister that there definitely needs to be balance from the perspective both of the landlord or digs provider and of the student. These students are often in their first year and do not have a big network so we need to have that protection in place. The students union at the University of Galway did a survey of members and found that 28% of students said their accommodation had a negative impact on their education. To go back to what previous speakers have said, a negative impact on education can make it more likely that people will drop out. We do not want that because education is absolutely vital to progression in this community and society. We want to do the best we can for students. It would be fantastic if the framework could be a little bit more mandatory. I do not want the Minister to frighten people away but we do need to protect students more.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I also wish the Minister well in his role. I previously held the role my colleague, Deputy McGettigan, now holds and I very much enjoyed it. It is an area in which the Minister could make great progress, not least with regard to accommodation. There are serious problems with digs accommodation. That is why my colleagues, Deputies Ó Broin and Farrell, introduced legislation in the area last year. I take on board what the Minister has said about this being an emergency measure and not wanting to shut down any streams of accommodation. However, it is absolutely essential that this sort of accommodation be registered. I hope the Minister has been listening to the students unions and the great work they are doing in this area. I also have great concern about the Atlantic Technological University's Castlebar campus. I met with the students union there two weeks ago. There is no accommodation. There is not even any accommodation in the pipeline for that campus. The student accommodation that was there is being repurposed. Where university towns have potential but there is no accommodation, the university cannot expand in the way it needs to.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On ATU, I recently sanctioned the purchase of 16 acres by ATU Sligo. This is a site just opposite the college campus. The Deputy may be aware of it. That will come on stream in due course.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am asking about Mayo.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is talking about Mayo. All politics is local. I understand that. I might have to come back to her on the details of the situation in Mayo.