Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 25 September 2025
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Student Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed)
2:00 am
Professor Maggie Cusack:
The Deputy made a lot of points. I will pick up the one where he referred to the MTU. He asked if we have plans ready. We have done all the demand analysis. No one will be surprised to hear that there is huge demand. We have identified areas to build on our Kerry north campus and our Bishopstown campus. We have stalled at that point because we require a derogation of authority from the HEA to enter into planning permission and all the other steps that Professor Campbell set out. There are costs involved. We are hoping we can do this in a collaborative way, based on all the business cases we have submitted to the HEA and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. We are all working together to ensure there will be economies of scale. It will be important as we move forward that there are economies of scale that can deliver the maximum number of viable student beds in the context of the cost of building. Those beds must be suitable and affordable for our students. We must think about viability and affordability and must deliver on both of those points. What was the other point?
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