Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated there will be greater support for students in the Budget, as his ministers clash over increasing the cost of student accommodation, writes Craig Hughes.

The Government has been accused by the Opposition of “throwing students to the wolves” as its new rental policies look set to lead to further hikes for students from next year.

The changes, due to come into effect from March 1, 2026, will allow a landlord to reset rents if a tenant voluntarily exits the tenancy, or every six years.

On Monday, Minister for Higher and Further Education James Lawless said students should not be “inadvertently disadvantaged” by the new rules.

He said the reform should include provisions to cater for shared houses of students.

However, on Tuesday, Minister for Housing James Browne said there would be no such provisions, and insisted they were unworkable.

“There is no special exemption in current law for people in that particular situation, and it won’t be under the new legislation either,” he said.

Mr Browne said he would engage with Mr Lawless around student-specific accommodation, but that it would be very difficult outside of this.

He added: “That’s a very different particular set of circumstances, but I think to try and engineer into the legislation that a landlord would have to identify what that person’s role is... are they a full-time student, part-time student, what qualifies as a student?

“It will be unworkable.”