Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor very much for raising this issue and for working with me on the delivery of the South East Technological University, SETU, which benefits Carlow, and also issues relating to Carlow College, which I know she is very passionate about and on which I am very committed to working with her.

We want to see more college-owned student accommodation. It is so important that we are not just reliant on the market or on universities borrowing of their own volition. In my view, we need to get much more stuck in because it increases overall housing supply. It also provides opportunities for technological universities not just to serve their region but also to welcome in students from outside their region, which is really important. That is why we are providing funding to the technological universities to develop their plans. As Deputy Murnane O'Connor knows, because we have discussed it, we have provided €1 million to the technological universities to work with experts on developing their plans. They will establish how many beds are needed in Carlow and in Waterford and what the overall need for the region is. There will be the output of that work, plus another piece of work I am doing with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on standardised design and what student accommodation should look like, so we are not starting with a blank sheet of paper every time. I believe those two pieces of information will enable us to take steps forward in 2024 on the delivery of student accommodation for the technological universities, which of course includes Carlow as well.

I will also say in the time available to me about Carlow College that I very much welcome that there have been discussions with SETU and that it has referenced in its strategic plan the importance of Carlow College. I thank Fr. Con and others in Carlow College for their work. Obviously, this is a matter for SETU to decide in consultation with Carlow College, but we now have a fund available – the technological sector advancement fund – to the technological universities to draw down for projects. It may well be appropriate that it might decide to seek funding under that fund to be able to further accelerate and explore the opportunities that there are with Carlow College.

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