Government has consistently failed to ensure that students have a safe and affordable place to live in during the college term. Students need affordable and purpose built housing. Not only for themselves but for the whole market. Now, as a result of the pandemic, we have a situation where many landlords that previously offered places to students have now pivoted to using their accommodation for families. This is a larger symptom of the total dearth of supply in the market and an offset of the five wasted years of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil when it comes to building homes for people.

Labour’s Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 would stop developers using loop-holes in the planning legislation to convert purpose built student accommodation into apartments for tourists. We need to bring an end to the current flexible position for developers ultimately at the cost of students who will end up commuting crazy hours or living in unsuitable, unaffordable private accommodation.

Without somewhere safe and secure to live, our students cannot thrive. Students are not second class citizens.