Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 September 2020
543. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to take action to assist students and their families that are trying to receive refunds for rent paid for student accommodation that was not used from mid-March 2020 due to the lockdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23986/20]
View answerI appreciate that this year has been a difficult one for students, and my Department has been working with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students. I understand based on the information available to me that students in university-owned accommodation have received pro-rata refunds if they have vacated their accommodation. I have indicated that I would wish to see this principle applied in the case of students who were residing in privately owned student accommodation however it is not within my remit to direct any accommodation provider to offer a refund.
Refund or cancellation policies in student accommodation should be set out in the license agreement signed at the beginning of the academic year. In the first instance students should engage with their accommodation provider to see if an arrangement can be reached in regard to a refund.
If this is not possible, under the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 students have access to the Dispute Resolution Services of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
