Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am a very proud former student of Maynooth University and I also worked there for a number of years. I was also a councillor representing the Clane, Maynooth municipal district. The Minister will be well aware that there is something quite unique about Maynooth in terms of the student town. The population essentially doubles during term time. The student accommodation issue is not isolated to students benefitting in the primary case but directly impacts everything else, in terms of living, working and growing up in Maynooth.

Having spoken to the president, the students union and to students themselves, it is clear that there is a growing concern that Maynooth, with its designation under the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy, RSES, has a population that is set to continue to grow and evolve. If we can unlock the potential of student accommodation aggressively, that will have a direct knock-on impact on everything else, including things like infrastructure, GP services, public transport and so on. It is a key piece of the jigsaw. I welcome the commitment from the Government and encourage the Minister to continue to be as ambitious as possible for Maynooth.

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