FIANNA Fáil TD for Cork North West, Aindrias Moynihan, has asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Patrick O’Donovan, if there is sufficient supply of accommodation for third level students for the 2024/2025 academic year and to outline the measures being taken to ensure accommodation providers retain 40-week tenancies for students.
In his response Minister O’Donovan said he is currently developing a new strategy for student accommodation which will be published this year.
This strategy will align with the long-term student accommodation policy and methodology which was approved by government in January.
The aim of this policy is to increase the supply of student accommodation and to examine alternative solutions that will remove accommodation as a barrier to higher education.
Government recently approved the priority drafting of the Residential Tenancies (Student Specific Accommodation) Bill for passing by the Houses of the Oireachtas during the summer session.
This Bill will ensure that student accommodation contracts will align to the academic year and will also tighten protections on advance payments to ensure students are not forced into payments of more than what is currently legislated for.
Student specific accommodation is within the remit of the Residential Tenancies Board which provides a confidential dispute resolution service. A student with specific concerns regarding their accommodation should contact the Residential Tenancies Board in the first instance to seek advice or register a complaint.
