Mr. Paul Lemass:

I will try to take what I can and I will ask my colleagues from the HEA to come in as well. In terms of State-funded on-campus accommodation, it is important to note that we reckon there are about 49,000 purpose-built student accommodation beds in the country. One third of them - 16,000 - are owned, developed and operated by publicly owned HEIs. The private sector has come in and played a role, but there is a significant amount of on-campus, purpose-built student accommodation. Even in the last year, the University of Galway opened 624 beds. A couple of years before that, UCD opened a big number of beds, although I cannot remember the exact figure. There is active development on campuses, but it is because of the viability and cost challenges that the State has had to step in a little bit more.

On the international aspect, the Department's view would be that the international dimension is a fundamental part of the education experience. Irish people go abroad to study and people from abroad come to Ireland. This is the nature and diversity of the educational experience. It is inherent in almost all universities around the globe, the progressive universities that want to bring in thinking from different parts of the world. We kind of feel the international aspect must be embraced. However, to reassure the Deputy, any of our modelling about demand and the size of the gap Deputy Connolly referred to will include any student registered on a course in a publicly owned HEI regardless of where he or she comes from. If the student is on that course, we recognise that accommodation needs are there.