Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I look forward to working with her and with colleagues in the House throughout the year. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to take this question on what is a really important issue right across the country. Student accommodation and student housing is not just an issue for students but also presents an opportunity, as we increase supply for students, to free up other accommodation for families, professionals and people coming to a city or region to rent or purchase. There is definitely a double benefit to increasing the supply of student accommodation.

As the Deputy will know, since November 2022, I have secured Government approval to start investing taxpayers' money in the building of student accommodation for the first time. We secured €61 million to unlock the development of up to 1,000 new and additional student accommodation beds across four universities. These universities had planning permissions but the projects were viewed as unviable. We have invested taxpayers' money to get them moving. These projects are being progressed as an immediate response to unlock the supply of accommodation.

I am please to inform the Deputy that projects at both Maynooth University and Dublin City University are at tender stage. These will deliver 521 beds. I expect those projects to go to construction this year. The remaining projects at the University of Limerick and the University of Galway are undergoing due diligence assessment in line with our public spending code and infrastructure guidelines. I expect progress on both projects shortly.

This week, I secured Government approval to progress a long-term student accommodation policy. This is an action under Housing for All. This policy aims to increase the supply of student accommodation and, crucially, to also reduce students' reliance on private rental accommodation so as to reduce the barrier that accommodation can present in accessing higher education. The long-term policy aims to narrow the gap between supply and demand and targets the development of public and purpose-built student accommodation and the refurbishment of vacant units. It will also progress and explore some of the issues we have discussed regarding the rent-a-room scheme and digs. The policy will also address the cost of construction through the development of standardised design templates for student accommodation, which could be extraordinarily helpful as regards the cost and speed of development. It will also look at the examination of transport links and viable commuting options, an issue student unions across the country are, quite rightly, bringing up.

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