Mr. Henry McGarvey:

I thank the Chair and members of the committee for the opportunity to speak with them today. First, I extend apologies on behalf of the president of the ATU, Dr. Orla Flynn, who is unable to attend due to prior commitments.

The ATU is a multicampus technological university situated in the west and north west of Ireland. It has a total student population of more than 30,000 students which, together with a growing research capacity, makes it one of the largest universities in Ireland, and the largest outside of Dublin, reflecting our ambition and the trust our students place in us. With campuses stretching from Donegal to Galway, we are playing a pivotal role in driving educational opportunity, skills development and regional growth across the west and north west. We are a multicultural university, with more than 70 nationalities represented in the student and staff population. We are proud of this rich diversity and welcome people from every corner of the world to come study, research or work at one of our campuses.

The ambitions for the university are growing with the expansion student and staff numbers and the number of programmes on offer. This year, two major new programmes have been offered for the first time in the region, namely pharmacy and physiotherapy. Next year, we will have our first intake to the bachelor of veterinary medicine and surgery. Our students include in excess of 1,500 apprentices and 4,000 postgraduates. In 2024, a total of 8,561 students graduated from the ATU, many of whom are building careers in the region. We welcomed almost 5,000 new first-year students across our nine campuses last week at induction, which is a 5% increase in numbers compared with last year. Net acceptances increased by 10% year on year, reflecting the growing demand for our programmes. Our priority is to help them feel connected from the outset and to provide structures that enable them to thrive academically and personally.

The continued successful growth and development of the university as a key driver of the region and wider economy will benefit all its stakeholders. With no ATU-owned purpose-built student accommodation across the region that we serve, we are relying entirely on the private sector to address the accommodation demand for our students. For the more than 30,000 students, there are just over 2,000 purpose-built student accommodation spaces - approximately 2,000 in Sligo, 200 in Letterkenny and 50 in the east of Galway city, where we are located. The acute shortage of affordable student accommodation constitutes a significant barrier to the future growth and development of our university.

Comparable with the general housing crisis, the private market has failed to adequately address the demand for student housing. The high cost of land, construction and financing has made it difficult for private developers to provide affordable housing options for students. Having land available, the university can deliver on-campus, purpose-built student accommodation in multiple locations across the west and north-west region, providing a mechanism to overcome many of the challenges of the student accommodation crisis and, in turn, relief in respect of the wider housing crisis. The increased provision of student accommodation will help serve to ameliorate the current housing crisis and associated economic costs it is creating for the local, regional and national economies.

The development of student accommodation at affordable rents is generally not commercially viable, and private developers are targeting other markets where higher returns can be achieved. Unlike the traditional universities, the technological universities and institutes of technology have been unable to develop their own managed student accommodation, resulting in full exposure to private sector market forces without the buffer of their own provision. This situation is further exacerbated in regional and rural areas where limited, if any, viable public transport commuting options exist, leaving long daily commutes by private car as the only alternative. For those reasons, it is considered essential that Government intervention is provided to alleviate this crisis. The university’s strategic vision seeks to create a diverse campus environment and identifies the systemic shortage of student accommodation as a major barrier to access.

The availability of student accommodation has been found to be a key determining factor in whether students will go to college and where they choose to attend. Providing affordable, quality student accommodation will facilitate increased accessibility for all students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The provision of flexible student accommodation will give students the opportunity to attend the university availing of flexible, high-quality accommodation, which contributes to student well-being, reduces traffic on our roads, alleviates parking issues in and around our campuses and also reduces the time students spend commuting. The university identifies the provision of facilities and amenities as key drivers in student success and key components of a vibrant university community.