Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not think it is a consent process. There may be an argument in that regard to amendment No. 19. Amendment No. 14 relates to the powers the Minister is giving himself in the Bill. In section 32B(3)(a), the Minister already allows that he might prescribe information around, for example, "the proposed types of houses and student accommodation units and their design, including proposed internal floor areas, housing density" and so forth. Amendment No. 14 states that in relation to section 32B, given that the Minister may well be prescribing information on the design of student accommodation, it would be appropriate that the guidance in relation to prescribed information he might produce would be reflective of a consultation process.

Perhaps this is the kind of measure that might not even need to be in primary legislation. However, it is important that there would be an indication that the Minister intends to engage with educational institutions and with students' unions and have that engagement inform how he approaches the powers he is giving himself in the Bill under 32B(3)(a). Perhaps that is not clear enough in the way I have framed the amendment but I will come back to the issue on Report Stage. It is a chance to address the matter. Given that the Minister will be prescribing the kinds of information he wants for student accommodation, listening to students' unions and educational institutions could be useful in making sure he does that well. I am pleased that the Minister mentioned affordability in relation to student accommodation. Again, that is a matter on which I might reserve the right to raise the matter on Report Stage in that specific affordability measures on student accommodation might be appropriate in the Bill.