Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is unfair to just assume that because an area has student accommodation, it will suffer all these difficulties. That is a little unfair and the wrong view, as it is not borne out by facts. I am willing to consider any facts that the Deputy has in that regard. We are trying to provide purpose-built student accommodation with all the services required for everybody's sake and for ease of integration. I have no problem discussing that with the Deputy but it would be wrong and unfair to assume that all these difficulties will come about.

There are 1,327 bed spaces under construction, with planning permission granted for 4,741 spaces. Planning permission has been applied for 2,602 bed spaces. There is preplanning of potential projects amounting to another 7,000 bed spaces.

In play there is a total of approximately 18,000 over the next few years. They are not all located in just one spot. I am very familiar with the Grangegorman site. I have been there. It will be a phased development. It should have happened before now, and if we can sort out the finance, it will happen. Not all the 8,000 or the additional 18,000 on top of that will be in the Deputy's area. It is wrong to assume so. I disagree with the Deputy's assumption at the start.

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