Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the concerns about the availability of accommodation for students and, for that reason, have asked the Higher Education Authority to report on the issue. The authority is working on a draft report on the availability of student accommodation which will be available shortly and give us an up-to-date picture of the situation. In that context, I will continue to work with Government colleagues and stakeholders to explore ways to increase the availability of student accommodation, where needed.

Many parts of the country are not experiencing the pressure on accommodation that we are seeing in Dublin and, to a lesser extent, Cork and Galway. Some institutions provide a range of accommodation and all colleges have an obligation to work with students' unions and other groups to provide students with details on accommodation options. Initiatives such as the USI's Homes for Study are of help to students and list suitable accommodation available to rent across Ireland. In the longer term the Government is committed to addressing the housing shortage through Construction 2020. While it will not solve all of our problems immediately, I am confident that the implementation of Construction 2020 will provide us with a sustainable housing stock in the medium to longer term.

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