Written answers
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Department of Education and Skills
Student Accommodation
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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231. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider introducing a means-tested intervention to assist student accommodation providers that may not be able to reimburse students for the time they will not be using student accommodation due to Covid-19 restrictions which would allow students to end their tenancy early without financial penalty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7771/20]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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286. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the action he will take with operators of student accommodation to seek refunds for students who left the accommodation on the instruction of his Department on 12 March 2020. [8098/20]
Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 286 together.
My Department is working with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students in this difficult time. I understand, based on the information available to me, that the majority of students in university-owned accommodation will receive pro-rata refunds if they have vacated their accommodation. While I would wish to see this principle applied in the case of students who were residing in privately owned student accommodation also, it is not within the remit of my Department to direct any accommodation provider to offer a refund.
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