Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In my constituency there is a residents' association on Magazine Road, Cork. For the past few years, and especially during Covid, they have been highlighting the whole issue of planning in respect of student accommodation and the consequences of not having the development zoned for student accommodation, and the effects this development has on the community who are living among it. We see student accommodation as vital. Cork is a big university city with two brilliant universities. However, we have seen no plan for the development of student accommodation tied in with the universities. What we then have is planning for developments, such as that passed by Cork City Council in the past couple of weeks, which involves a tall development. One of the roofs will have a garden on it.

One of the rules for this being built was that people cannot use it after, I think, 8 p.m. on weekdays, 4 p.m. on a Saturday and not at all on a Sunday. Can one imagine this big, massive student accommodation and telling the students that they will not be able to use it at night or at the weekends? How can a planning decision be made with something like that?

A number of years ago when I was in Cork City Council, we looked at getting a designation for planning for student accommodation so it would be sustainable and work with communities, but work with the colleges. As residents associations and from the planning point of view, is there a missed opportunity in this Bill? I see Ms Kimber is agreeing.