Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 December 2022
151. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the proposal for the inclusion of a provision under the rent-a-room scheme to allow pensioners who are medical card holders to avail of the scheme without the possibility of losing their medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59857/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation is an issue of which Government and I are actively pursuing. We are committed to addressing supply of affordable student accommodation for priority group students attending higher education in Ireland.
In response to this issue and to increase supply, I brought proposals to Government on Tuesday setting out a new policy that supports the delivery of additional purpose-built student accommodation.
I am pleased to confirm Government has approved my proposals, which include my intention to further engage with the Department of Health and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine barriers to participation in this scheme to activate supply of digs accommodation.
Provisions are being sought to examine if income earned by the renting of rooms in primary households could be disregarded for the purpose of medical card and GP visit eligibility. The most recent figures from Eurostat in 2019 suggest that there are 61% of under-occupied dwellings in urban areas indicating potential supply in areas adjacent to universities and technological universities/IoTs.
There are approximately 9,810 people availing of the Rent-a-Room tax scheme according to the latest figures compiled in 2019. The costs associated with this proposal would be the costs of giving a medical card to current participants of this scheme who, as a result of being allowed to exclude their rent-a-room income from the Medical Card means test, would now become eligible.
