Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not wish the Deputy in any way to think my language is not strong enough in regard to Mr. Keegan’s comments because I find them absolutely reprehensible, I really do. It shows a real failure to understand the serious challenge that people are facing. It also shows complete and utter disrespect to students. The Deputy and I might not agree on everything but what we do agree on is working with students on a number of issues, and we have made progress on some matters. If we are to find solutions to these things, it is going to involve collaborating, working with student unions, working with colleges and listening to them. The idea that one of our most senior officials in our capital city would just dismiss their views with flippant, sarcastic language is, quite frankly, contemptuous.

Last week, we had a meeting between my Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and all the college representative bodies. We basically said that under the Housing for All principles, there is now an opportunity for people to start borrowing to build college-owned student accommodation and not just be reliant on the market, and we invited them to bring forward proposals. I am very excited by the pipeline of proposals that the colleges have. I am due to meet the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, next week to further this. I and the Minister are due to visit Dublin City University because the president of DCU made some very interesting and constructive comments about the cost of building and the implication that is having for some of the universities in our larger cities. I expect to be in a position to work with the sector to bring forward, in what is a very significant policy shift, a very large building programme of college-owned student accommodation, as opposed to the policies of the past, which had been too reliant on the private sector.

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