On pages 93 and 94 of the programme for Government a commitment is given to increase accessibility to third level education. In September of this year the rent for University College Cork accommodation will increase by 10%, bringing the average annual contribution towards accommodation in the 1,200 spaces available to €6,000, which works out at roughly €200 per week per college year. The issue of rent pressure zones was raised earlier. Does the Government intend to include university accommodation in the rent pressure zones, minimising the increases to a minimum of 4%? The obvious knock-on effect for students is that if they cannot afford university accommodation, they will move out into the private market and the spiral will continue. Can the Minister ensure that university accommodation is included in the rent pressure zones to prevent such exorbitant rent increases?

The Government made a commitment that we would include student accommodation within the remit of rent pressure zones, which I believe will impact positively in this area.