Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

These regulations are enforced through local authorities, not directly by the Department. Having been a member of a local authority for some years, however, I do not wish to be overly critical of them. The issue fundamentally is one of supply and we have gone through a few years during which there was a shortage of accommodation.

The issue of students seeking proper accommodation was raised in the Dáil last week. There is a lot of hype every year, come September, about student accommodation, although it has settled down in recent years. There is a lot of student accommodation now, both on and off campus. Legislation has been enacted to give tax incentives for student accommodation and several thousand units of such accommodation have been provided under that measure, which has helped to relieve pressure. Equally, however, I recall hearing a radio programme last September about this issue. On the one hand, parents were panicking, racing around and paying any rent a landlord sought. On the other hand, college accommodation officers were saying they had plenty of space and were asking people to relax because most of the students would be accommodated. Most colleges have accommodation organised so people should calm down rather than rushing around paying whatever price landlords are asking.

There is no need for all the hype and publicity stunts that are usually organised by the students' unions every year. There can be some pressure, but if people take their time these matters can be worked out. The tax incentive schemes have helped to provide much accommodation both on and off campus.

Accommodation standards are regulated by law, although we know they have not been properly enforced. There was a time when people were taking anything that was on offer and some landlords certainly cashed in on that. With a better supply and better standards, prospective tenants now have a wider choice. The best enforcement one can have is the client who must be aware of what is available. Sometimes, clients may be forced by various pressures to make a decision because the money is coming from the rent allowance. If the money was coming from their own pockets they might be more worried. In an era when there was a lack of supply, certain accommodation was let of which none of us could be proud, but matters are improving. The proposed amendment would not help the situation.