The advice the Deputy refers to regarding visitor and student accommodation is from the "Implementation Guidelines for Public Health Measures in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)" published on August 5th. This document was produced by public health exerts within the HEI sector and the recommendations in it were endorsed by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE.
The guidelines on student accommodation, including those in relation to visitors, are designed to reduce the risk of spread in student accommodation given the fact that it's a relatively dense-congregated setting with common areas shared between a number of students. The aim is to reduce to the pathways for the virus to enter a student accommodation setting, and help protect all those sharing the accommodation.
Student accommodation license terms including cost, duration, refund and cancellation policies should be set out in the license agreement signed at the beginning of the academic year. While I would hope that accommodation providers would show flexibility to students in the current times, agreements between students and accommodation providers are a private matter, and neither I nor my Department have any remit to issue instructions in relation to the rental market.
