James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

This is something I am very aware of and very keen to make progress on. It is multi-faceted; it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. My immediate and short-term focus has been on enabling stalled projects to proceed by tackling the viability issues. The €100 million in the short-term activation programme has been put aside for this purpose. Under that programme, some beds are reserved for priority students under the national access plan at reduced rents on a 30% basis. Therefore, 30% of beds are ring-fenced for SUSI recipients for a period of 30 years. Measures like that are very important in any State-funded accommodation.

As part of that programme, I approved funding of €67 million just last month to enable UCD to enter into contracts. Indeed, I turned the sod with President Orla Feely out there a few weeks ago. That will deliver 493 new student beds. I also opened Maynooth University's 116-bed project at the start of September in Teach Uí Bhuachalla, or Buckley House.

We have other measures, including things like VAT. In the recent budget, we reduced VAT from 13.5% to 9% on new apartment construction. I engaged with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, on that measure to ensure it will help to unlock up to 15,000 additional student beds that have planning permission but have not progressed. Some of that is because of viability and cost issues.

In June, I published the Design Guide for State Sponsored Student Accommodation. That will support the optimisation of capacity in new developments and should also accelerate the delivery of that accommodation. I am working with the technological universities, TUs, through the technological sector student accommodation programme, which is an activation measure through which supports are provided to allow the TUs to develop their own accommodation and to support them in progressing that. I intend to publish the long-term student accommodation strategy, which is a work in progress at the moment, by the end of this year. It will include a range of measures across viability, affordability, increasing supply and maximising the amount of accommodation to make sure it is available to students. I am also working with the Minister, Deputy Browne, on the rent pressure zone legislation, which is expected to come through the House shortly to ensure it contains adequate protections for students.

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