Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The point I am making is that there would have to be a review by the CSO and approval by Eurostat in order for technological universities to be able to borrow off-balance sheet. The premise of my question is whether that is currently in train rather than it being on-balance sheet. I am referring specifically to student accommodation because it was my understanding that Ts were promised at the time that they would be able to borrow specifically for that. The concern about PPPs is, going back to our earlier discussion, student accommodation being affordable for students. With regard to the ability for the TUs to borrow and to deliver their own student accommodation, if the Minister wants to give them loads of money in the budget for direct builds and fund TUs that way, that will be all well and good.

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