Student accommodation rents
Deputy Brendan Howlin raised rent hikes in DCU student accommodation and unaffordable costs for students. The Minister for Housing said more student beds were coming and officials were checking whether the accommodation fell within rent pressure zone rules, while legislation was being brought forward.
I understand the Cabinet approved legislative proposals today to strengthen the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. There are thousands of students outside this building protesting at rent hikes in Dublin City University, DCU. The latest rent increases by private student accommodation providers will see DCU students paying over €10,000 for a nine month period. That is an extortionate amount of money for students and their families trying to avail of an opportunity for education. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, trumpeted the fact that the targets for student accommodation are being met. That is of little use if it is unaffordable. As the Taoiseach knows, at present student accommodation units are exempt from the rent pressure zone, RPZ, regulations. They are also beyond the scope of the RTB as they are deemed to be under licence rather than leased under the scheme. When will we see the long overdue residential tenancies (amendment) Bill? When will it be in the House? Will the Government introduce amendments to ensure that student accommodation comes within the full scope of the regulations already in place?
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I thank the Deputy for the question. We will see a dramatic increase in student accommodation completions in the next couple of years. About 9,000 new student beds will be created, which is-----
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It will not matter if they are unaffordable.
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Not if they cannot afford it.
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-----very welcome for the students who will be living in that accommodation. It is not necessarily the case that student accommodation does not come under the RPZ measures. However, meetings have been held between my Department, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills with special responsibility for higher education, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, and the students concerned over the last two weeks to see if this particular accommodation falls within rent pressure zones regulations.
I brought the heads of the residential tenancies Bill to Cabinet today. It is priority legislation. We are working with the Attorney General's office on it at the moment. I hope it will have speedy passage through the House once it is published. If it is necessary during the passage of the legislation to consider an amendment in relation to student accommodation, then that can be considered at that time.