Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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52. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on progress in addressing the current challenges around student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26567/24]

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister provide an update on progress in addressing challenges around student accommodation? There are many people finishing their leaving certificate and looking forward to September but they and their families are worried about the cost of what lies ahead, depending on where they receive the offer of a course and whether they will be able to find a place to live, let alone afford it.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am aware of the difficulties faced by many students in accessing affordable and suitable student accommodation. The Government is committed to addressing this challenge. This morning, the Cabinet approved the drafting of amendments to the residential tenancies (student-specific accommodation) Bill via an emergency Bill which will deal with the matter of 51-week leases. We gave approval to publish with the intention of the Bill being passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas during the summer session. I look forward to the help of the Opposition in getting that done with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I thank the Minister and his officials for the significant work done in expediting this process to safeguard students from being forced to undertake extended 51-week leases and excessive payments to secure a tenancy. These measures will provide assurances to students and their families on costs when planning for higher education.

The Government has approved my Department's long-term policy, including the provision of State support to stimulate the development of new student accommodation. Capital investment of €100 million was announced in April for the delivery of 1,000 student accommodation beds across UCD, Maynooth University and DCU. The long-term vision, which is a key deliverable of the Government’s Housing for All strategy, will ensure that availability of accommodation does not act as a barrier to higher education.

In addition to increasing supply of student accommodation through State support, this vision will see us reducing the cost of delivery through the development of standardised design guidance and the promotion of efficient use of existing stock and vacancies, while supporting balanced regional development. The consultancy appointment for this work is currently being finalised by the Department on my behalf.

We will continue to support digs accommodation. The role and provision of supply from the private sector in campus accommodation locations should also be recognised and continued. Officials in the Department are working intensively on progressing proposals from the technological university sector. I look forward to receiving a report on this work in the coming weeks with a view to progressing a number of proposals to the next stage in the near future.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister explain what he said about the 51-week leases? The Taoiseach, who was the Minister's predecessor, said in the House on multiple occasions he would bring this before the Dáil before the summer recess. I asked him if it could be done by ministerial order or in some other way that would hasten the process because we do not want people to be locked in at this point for the coming September. However, he said it had to be done through primary legislation. Is the Minister telling the Chamber it will be ready by the summer recess and we can ensure people are not bound into 51-week contracts this September? The USI has continually raised this issue and people have been in contact with me on it. It seems to me, from one person who contacted me, that it is not just a practice in privately owned accommodation but is creeping into the university accommodation sector. It would be the thin end of the wedge.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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This is the second memo that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I have brought on this issue. The first was to seek Cabinet approval. Today, the Government approved the priority drafting of the residential tenancies (student-specific accommodation) Bill. This will be welcomed by Deputies on both sides of the House, including the previous Minister and now Taoiseach, as well as myself. It will only pass into law if both Houses are able to deal with it before the Oireachtas rises for the summer. Even though it is much-needed legislation that everybody will welcome, particularly parents and students, we will need the co-operation of the Whips and the Business Committee to make sure it is truncated or done as quickly as possible and this advantageous legislation to students across the country can be enacted and in legal effect by the time the Dáil rises for the summer.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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When can we see it? The first and most important thing is for us to see the legislation. We all want to stop this practice and ensure people are not locked into 51-week leases. As soon as we can see it and make sure it does what it says on the tin, we can welcome it. We need to end the practice of 51-week leases because it has affected many students. Is it the Minister's view that he can get it passed by the summer recess if there is co-operation and everybody is in agreement? Does he think, though we were told it had to be primary legislation, it can be done within two weeks?

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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It has to be primary legislation. The Attorney General advised the Cabinet this morning of his views with regard to it. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I are confident it can be enacted before the Dáil and Seanad rise for the summer but it will require the co-operation of the Whips. The Deputy will see the legislation as soon as it is published. It is not published yet. When it is, we will ask the consent of the Houses, given the importance of it, to waive pre-legislative scrutiny and bring it straight into the House to be dealt with as quickly as possible. It is a priority for the Department. If we do not deal with it in the short time we have, it will discommode students and their parents in September. The Department of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is the lead Department because it is housing legislation. He hopes to have it done as soon as possible and if we get the agreement of the Whips and spokespeople, we will move to enact it as quickly as we can thereafter.