Most students rent their accommodation in the private sector. Every autumn they struggle to find accommodation. Those who are lucky enough to do so pay extortionate rents. Others, who are not so lucky, face very long commutes. The consequences on their lives for their studies are very serious. In worst case scenarios, students have had to defer their course or have dropped out of their studies because of this financial pressure. Rather than supporting students, what the Government proposes to do is to make life even more difficult for them - to force rents up even further. We heard mixed messages from the Government last week. It was going to help students and then it was not. Now, we know it will not. How does the Taoiseach defend the Government's policy to students and their families, who face into extortionate rents and all of that pressure?

I thank the Deputy and call on the Taoiseach to respond.

His message to them is that their rent is going to go up.

I thank Deputy McDonald. I call on the Taoiseach.

No matter how often Deputy McDonald tries to misrepresent the reforms the Government announced last week in respect of the rental sector, it just will not cut it. There are very strong protections in the rent pressure zones, stronger than was the case previously, as a result of the reforms we are going to introduce. In particular, there is a cap of 2% for existing tenants and a cap tied to the CPI for future tenancies.

First, there is a significant expansion of support by the State on the way for universities in regard to bespoke student accommodation. We will continue to support students. We have a variety of mechanisms to support students, and we do.

The Government forces up their rent. It does not care.