Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of the student accommodation crisis in Dublin and in our towns and cities. A month ago, many Members of this House and the Dáil went out in support of the Union of Students in Ireland when it held a demonstration to highlight the issue of housing poverty in the student population, the unaffordability of student accommodation and concerns about a the conversion of purpose-built student accommodation to short-term lets. I met with representatives of the Union of Students in Ireland and they welcomed the Housing for All strategy and the multi-annual funding that this Government has committed to address the housing crisis. They specifically welcomed: the fact that Housing for All gives powers to the technical universities to build not-for-profit purpose-built student accommodation; the innovations made in regard to the rent controls and the legally binding rent caps introduced by this Government; the fact that it can no longer be demanded of students to pay six-months' or a year's rent in advance; that payments up front are limited to two months; and that they have extra protection in regard to their notice periods.

They welcomed of all those initiatives, however, they have another concern. In the recent budget, they were pleased with the increases in the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant and the modifications to the qualifying threshold in that regard. More than 72,000 students will qualify for the SUSI grant this year. They are concerned that a holistic approach has not been taken by the Minister and the Department on the funding of third level education. Will the Leader invite the Minister with responsibility for third level education to come to the House to address the issue of the funding of third level education and, in particular, the enabling of the third level institutions to provide not-for-profit purpose-built student accommodation.