Sinn Féin spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Mairéad Farrell TD, has said that this morning’s student unions campaign to have more people partake in the rent-a-room scheme is a clear indicator that the government’s strategy for student accommodation is failing.

She added that Sinn Féin would invest directly in our third level sector so that there can be affordable and reliable student accommodation in place.

Teachta Farrell said:

“Student unions have been clearly telling us that there is not enough student accommodation to meet the demand from students at their universities. 

“Over the last number of years, we have heard time after time from these unions and from students themselves that many have been forced to commute long distances, to live in precarious and substandard accommodation, while others have had to drop out of their courses due to the lack of student-specific accommodation.

“This has not happened by accident, and the government’s failure to invest one additional red cent in last year’s budget for student accommodation further shows that this is not a priority for government. 

“They failed students last year and look set to do the same this year. Sinn Féin has been clear that we would invest directly in our third level sector so that there can be affordable and reliable student accommodation in place.

“I commend the student unions for their strong campaign to ensure that every young person who wants to go to college can go and find a place to live. 

“Right now we have a situation whereby students are forced to stand outside train stations handing flyers hoping that somebody will take them in. 

“This sector clearly needs formalisation – at the moment nobody knows how many students live in this type of accommodation and how many rooms are available to rent. 

“My Bill from earlier this year would allow for that formalisation to occur. This is the type of thinking we need from the government. It is now time to have this Bill brought into legislation.”

Sinn Féin’s Digs Accommodation Bill (Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2024) can be read here.