Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue. We were all delighted with the South East Technological University, SETU, strategy plan, which was launched this month. St. Patrick's in Carlow, which is the other college involved, is the second oldest third level institution in Ireland and a leader in education. The future is bright in the south east, particularly for Carlow-Kilkenny, but as the Minister of State can tell, we need to consider student accommodation in County Carlow. What plans are there and what is being put in place or developed? The Government is acutely aware of the challenges that students are facing now and will face when they return to third level in September.

I took a quick look at the rental sites. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment-style unit in Carlow is €1,400. As of today, there are just five such units. While the student assistance fund is welcome, there is a considerable lack of bed spaces in campus accommodation. Bespoke housing is urgently needed. I reached out to Carlow County Council and SETU to ask them their plans. I was trying to get information. In fairness, Carlow County Council reverted to me and said that its policy on student accommodation was that it should be located within convenient distance of educational facilities by foot, bicycle or public transport and generally either within the college campus or appropriately zoned land. While this is welcome, it does not provide much information. Under Housing for All, Government approval has been secured to allow technological universities to borrow to build student accommodation. This will help increase availability, but is it happening?

What are the Department's plans to ensure that the students attending SETU at Carlow College will find adequate accommodation? I have been working with many students recently. Carlow being a university town is a game-changer for Carlow-Kilkenny. From speaking with families, the main issue is if students must stay overnight, particularly if they are from outside Carlow. We must ensure that there is proper student accommodation. It is a cost issue. Can anything be done to address it?

We have SETU, but we now need to look to the future. After the process to establish SETU was initiated, there were meetings for seven years. I was a Senator at the time. It took us a long time to get here, but we are here now. Do we in the south east need to set up another Oireachtas group to examine accommodation plans? This is about the bigger picture and affects Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford. As the House knows, Carlow-Kilkenny is my concern. How do we put a proper plan in place? How do we work together and help SETU, Carlow County Council, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford? How do we play our part to ensure that we are providing proper accommodation for students who need it? If students cannot find anywhere, it is a worry for families. There is also the cost factor. The more accommodation we have, the less expensive it will be. What is the plan?

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