Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
219. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the reason taxpayers in the South are not able to claim tax relief for their child's student accommodation costs incurred at universities in the North; if consideration will be given to including student accommodation costs in the North in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9940/26]
View answerThe Rent Tax Credit, as provided for in section 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, was introduced by the Finance Act 2022 and may be claimed in respect of qualifying rent paid in 2022 and subsequent years to end-2028.
In relation to parents paying for their children who are studying abroad and in a tenancy outside the State, the purpose behind the Rent Tax Credit is to assist as part of the overall response to the accommodation shortage in the private rented residential sector in the State. More specifically, the aim is to provide some financial assistance to renters in that particular sector who may face high rental costs and who do not receive any other housing supports from the State. As such, the eligibility criteria for the credit specify that the rental property concerned must be a residential property located in the State.
Finally, and as the Deputy will appreciate, proposals for the introduction of new tax measures or the amendment of existing tax reliefs, are made in the context of the annual Budget and Finance Bill processes, at the appropriate time, and having regard to the sound management of the public finances and my Department's Tax Expenditure Guidelines.
