I was contacted yesterday by a parent whose daughter was about to start college at UCD. Her timetable indicates that she will attend on campus for three days between now and January, yet the university is seeking full payment for her on-campus accommodation. The student and her parent have been told that they must pay up by this evening or her place will be cancelled. I acknowledge that the Minister stated there would be intervention on this matter, but I ask that the intervention by the Minister with responsibility for this area, Deputy Harris, whom I have contacted on this matter, be made today. Parents and students are under significant pressure after what has already been a very difficult year. We cannot have a situation where universities and colleges are charging full accommodation costs when students simply will not be on campus between now and January. Indeed, they may not be on campus for the rest of the academic year.

As I stated, the Government is asking colleges and universities to show flexibility, particularly where they have control of the accommodation. The impact of the pandemic on college life must be a great disappointment, particularly for those who are starting college this autumn. For those who are lucky enough to attend third level, it is an incredible time when one meets new friends who often turn out to be friends for life and when one begins learning in a new way. I hope that we can bring our numbers back to stability in a very quick timeframe. It is not about getting the numbers right down to the point of suppression. Rather, the public health ambition and goal is about stabilising the numbers such that we are not facing a doubling of cases every ten days. If that is done and the incidence of Covid in Dublin and other counties drops to a lower level, it may be possible for colleges and universities to introduce elements of face-to-face learning, as well as the other important part of college life, namely, interaction with one's peers and lecturers in a way that is not all online.