Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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747. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has had any engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to bringing forward legislation with regards to accommodation used as student digs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22567/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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All higher education institutions, continue to support their students to find accommodation in the private rental sector through, for example, the encouragement of room rental or ‘student digs’ in family homes. A homeowner can rent a room, retain their social welfare entitlements where applicable, and earn up to €14,000 in rental income before having to pay tax. This income is also disregarded for the examination of reckonable income for support under the Student Grant Scheme

Following the submission of a joint proposal from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science, Government agreed to the expansion of the income disregard for the rent a room scheme for medical card holders. Since 1 May, any income gained under the scheme up to the €14,000 limit will be disregarded when determining medical card eligibility. Local Authority tenants can also access the scheme and rent out a room in their home.

My Department has ongoing contact with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to our Housing for All obligations, including the commitment to “Increase protections for Tenants in Private Rental Accommodation” by Q2 2023.

In addition, my officials have also met with a number of higher education institutions to discuss their experience of sourcing and promoting digs accommodation to prospective students.

Department officials are also in the early stages of engagement with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) regarding the provision of student digs and the issued raised by the higher education institutes and students themselves.

The RTB is a public body set up to support and develop a well-functioning rental housing sector. Their remit extends to the private rental, Approved Housing Body (AHB) and Student Specific Accommodation sectors. Their role includes the regulation of the rental sector, and the provision of information and research to inform policy.