James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the commencement of the 2020-21 college year; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that students will need to pay accommodation fees in July 2020 to cover the first semester; if he will instruct landlords on the way in which they should handle student accommodation for the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7376/20]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. Therefore the timelines for re-opening are a matter for each institution to decide.

The national co-ordination group for tertiary education is meeting on a regular basis to consider key issues impacting the tertiary sector, including arrangements for re-opening institutions. These arrangements will be dependent on public health advice, and will be communicated to learners as soon as possible.

Rental agreements between students and accommodation providers are a private matter, and neither I nor my Department have any remit to issue instructions in relation to the private rental market.