Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Can I say how pleased I was to be at a reception last night to see off our team as it heads to the Women's World Cup. It was fantastic to see the energy and enthusiasm in the room. On behalf of all of us, I wish the team and the backroom team, which does so much good, the very best of luck. In particular, I want mention the team's physiotherapist Susie Coffey, who is from Newbridge in Kildare.

Yesterday, I met with members of the UCD students' union regarding its recently published accommodation report. The union has compiled very impressive analysis and data regarding what we know is a national crisis. This is having a very negative impact on students' lives and experiences. The union surveyed 1,553 students. Aside from the need to have accommodation on or near campus, one area that might need to be addressed is the number of students availing of digs-style arrangements as a last resort. One key element is the lack of regulation covering the area. I heard many different stories from students such as students being refused access to kitchens and bathrooms at certain times, which is unacceptable, or the number of days being very limited. I agree with the students' union on the need for greater regulation. It also pointed out that much of the on-campus accommodation is very expensive. We need to do more to support the students.

I met with Newbridge Family Resource Centre on Monday. It has an excellent executive team. Like every family resource centre, it does so much work in the towns it serves in terms of supporting families. In many ways, the family resource centres constitute the heartbeat of our communities. In this instance, which I think would be the same across the country, the family resource centre was lucky enough to be awarded two large grants - one from Pobal and the other from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. Unfortunately, when it went to tender to replace prefabs, the tender came in far higher because, as we know, the cost of building, etc., has escalated. We need to do something. We need to send a strong message to the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the Minister for Finance that we need to support those who are in situations such as that to which I refer and who need more funding. We also need to look at the criteria in terms of spending because there are very tight timelines in terms of drawing down these funds. If an organisation does not draw down the money at a particular time, there is a real problem, which means that it may lose the grant altogether. This is a significant matter that we need to examine.