Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are two parts to this, as the Deputy may have heard me say earlier. There is a supply issue. To take Maynooth University as an example, based on the figures I have in my head, for every one student who got a student accommodation bed on campus, there were six others who sought one. There was a demand this year for student accommodation, at current rates, that could not be met. We have to ramp up supply. I take the point on affordability, however. I have no interest in student accommodation being opened with great fanfare but not being affordable for the bulk of students. I am trying to find a mechanism that allows the State to give money to universities that is in compliance with state aid rules and all those kinds of things with which we need to comply and enables accommodation to be provided at affordable rates. The debate in respect of what is affordable is a somewhat subjective one.

The Deputy has raised with me previously in the House that there are different ways the State can help people meet the cost of their rent if the unit is built. However, if the unit is not built, we are having an academic conversation, if he will pardon the pun. The key thing is to build the accommodation and make sure we can use many tools, including student grants and other suggestions the Deputy has made, to try to help students meet the cost of rent.

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