Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the time available to me, I will take as read the answers I have given on the immediate measures we are taking through increasing the student assistance fund and the like for day-to-day costs and the cost of living increases, which are real. The Deputy has asked me a very direct question in what I mean as to the cost rental model. A number of our higher education institutions currently hold existing lands on which purpose-built, college-owned student accommodation could be developed. In these cases, development of this would unlock land that would otherwise be unavailable for the provision of housing. Further, the required specification of student accommodation has the potential to make it more cost-effective than other types of development. The potential for access to affordable accommodation to become a barrier to access to education creates a social imperative to increase the supply of affordable student accommodation. In this context there is an opportunity to utilise supports under the Housing for All strategy to enable higher education institutions to increase the provision of affordable student accommodation. The cost rental model deployed by housing with regard to social housing considers costs associated with development of financing, management and maintenance. It models it over 40 years to determine a one-year rental value and a scheme known as cost rental equity loans is also operated.

See this speech in context