Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader for a debate on third level education, in particular grants. Fortunately, more students than ever are accessing third level education in this country but there are serious inequities within the grant system. I refer to the disregards available to the agricultural and farming communities compared to the eligibility for people subjected to PAYE incomes, in particular those in Dublin and other urban centres.

I ask that the debate also cover the issue of student housing. In recent times, UCD has increased the cost of on-campus accommodation by 17% and we are also aware, from a study that was done, that it costs approximately €11,000 per annum to keep a student in a third level institution. That figure is rising considerably due to the high cost of accommodation. What plans does the Government have to alleviate the student accommodation difficulties? What does it intend to do with the vast tracts of lands available to our third level institutions to deal with the issue of student accommodation?