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Dáil
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Student accommodation costs

Summary

Johnny Guirke described a Galway case where students were moved out for renovations and later faced sharply higher rents. Coveney said he would need the details in writing but that rent pressure zone rules should still apply.

I raise the crisis in student accommodation. Just to let the Minister know what is happening, there were eight students in accommodation in Galway who, at the end of November, got an email stating they had to move out of the apartments they were in because of renovations. They moved out and they were moved into similar accommodation in two groups of four. Within two or three days, families were moved into the accommodation the students left with no renovations done. Last year, these students paid €8,000 for their accommodation. This year, they have got quotes of €10,000, which is an increase of 25% in a rent pressure zone where rents are supposed to be going up 2%. The reason they could do that was that they moved the students into accommodation they said was renovated. The students went to seek alternative accommodation locally and when they did, they were told that 2,000 applicants had applied for 200 vacancies. That is the crisis that exists in student accommodation. What is the Government doing about it? It is beginning to be unaffordable for families and for students to go to college.

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Will the Deputy put some of those questions in writing to me? My understanding is that student accommodation is covered by the limitations to increases within rent pressure zones. If that is not being abided by, we will have to look into it. I am not familiar with the individual case in Galway referred to by the Deputy but even if a premises has been renovated, that does not mean it is a new rental premises; it just means it has been renovated. If the Deputy sends on the individual details I will take a look at it to make sure they are abiding by the rules.

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