Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank all the witnesses for being here and for their presentations. We heard from the student unions last week and they are all basically saying the same thing. They indicated that there was a shortage of student accommodation of somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 beds and that is predicted to rise to 68,000 by 2035 if this is not addressed. We know the effect it is having on students. They are commuting long distances. They are sofa surfing. They are dropping out or they are trying to work a job to pay their bills as well as study.

The Technological Universities Act 2018 foresaw a borrowing framework. In 2021, the Government announced a clear decision to allow it yet, nothing has happened in seven years and then four years. I hear what our colleagues from Fianna Fáil are saying and that the Minister intends to have this in place. Are the witnesses confident that will happen very soon? If it was to happen tomorrow, how long would it be before technological universities could borrow and get building? I recognise the universities have identified they have land and have carried out feasibility studies. I could nearly predict the universities have the work done to get off the ground straight away. As well as borrowing, I presume they anticipate there would be State investment as well. In the south east, where there is a very limited amount of accommodation available, how was that funded? Was that State investment if the institution was not able to borrow at the time?