Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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50. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the engagement he has had with the Residential Tenancies Board with regard to the student housing crisis since becoming Minister in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56053/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Residential Tenancies Board is a quasi-judicial, independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2025 that operates the national tenancy registration system and facilitates the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. This includes specific student accommodation.

I can confirm that officials from my Department have engaged with the Residential Tenancies Board in relation to a range of student accommodation matters, including, as part of the stakeholder engagement process for the development of the new Student Accommodation Strategy, which is due to be published later this year.

I have also personally written to the RTB to highlight my concerns over potential breaches of the Acts, directly. One of my key priorities as Minister is to do everything possible to ensure that any barriers to third level education are removed and that students are not forced into paying excessive amounts for accommodation, creating unnecessary hardship and additional costs for students and their families.