Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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297. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a university (details supplied) is requesting over €3,000 in up-front payments for on campus accommodation for the coming academic year despite the Government currently enacting legislation to prohibit same; and if he plans to intervene. [39033/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, legislation has passed the Oireachtas which restricts the up-front payments required to secure accommodation, including student accommodation, to no more than the equivalent of two months’ rent, and limit payments thereafter to on month’s rent at a time. This Bill was signed into law on the 9th July.

My officials met with representatives from the university sector in relation to the this bill on a number of occasions, and the universities are aware of the restrictions on up-front payments and the requirement to allow monthly payments. According to the information available to me, the University of Limerick has made the necessary adjustments and this has been reflected on their website which states that the payment due on 31st July is the first months rent and a €500 deposit.

Further information on this should be sought from the universities themselves as accommodation payments as a matter for them in line with their institutional autonomy, and I have no direct role in this matter.