Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his engagement with third level student accommodation providers to ensure that the €600 electric credits announced in Budget 2023 are passed onto students in form of reduction of rent which includes their utilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51646/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2023 introduced a major package of supports to mitigate against the significant impact that the large increase in energy prices is having.

The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Acts to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 extended protections to student accommodation arrangements under both lease and licence.

These protections include a capping of annual rental increases in line with the provisions for Rent Pressure Zones and extends access to the RTB’s Dispute Resolution Services to students.

While the vast majority of people who rent their homes have their own Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN), some have arrangements whereby their landlord holds the MPRN and energy costs are paid to the landlord. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the RTB has worked with the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications to make people aware of the RTB mediation services available to tenants in the event landlords do not pass on credits to tenants. The RTB has reported that contacts with them on this matter were extremely low with regard to the first Electricity Account Credit Scheme.