Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. I thank the Minister for yet again coming into the House to debate housing legislation. Senator Keogan was right in one respect, namely, that the crucial issue is supply. The major issue in the context of the whole debate on housing relates to supply and accelerating supply. Senator Keogan was certainly wrong to state that the Government is not addressing the issue because on a weekly basis the Minister has been coming in here with legislation to try to drive this forward and address the problems within the housing sector. The measures in the Bill relate to supporting tenants but it is important that we enhance supply. That supply will not be achieved by opposition to the private sector and to builders actually being involved in providing that housing, or by opposition to home-building in Dublin Bay South or any constituency. That is a crucial message this Government must communicate.

I will focus on the issue of student accommodation. I agree with Senator Martin's concerns about universities using the "licence to reside" provisions rather than a lease. We must try to ensure they will not use that legal mechanism to avoid any of the very welcome provisions within this legislation.We need to address the broader question of student accommodation. I take the view that perhaps there would be a specific section of the Housing Agency with, I hope, a focus on that, and that the new commission on housing would look at the whole area of student accommodation. The dramatic growth in the number of higher education students in Ireland is welcome, but we must ensure we have places to accommodate those students. Equally, for international students and for Erasmus students who want to come into the State, we must ensure, ideally, there is a greater amount of on-campus accommodation or student accommodation available.

The Higher Education Authority had estimated that we would need in the order of 75,500 additional new student beds by 2024, and that pre-pandemic we were on target to reach some 55,000 additional new student beds. Pre-pandemic we were going to struggle to meet the additional number of student beds required. I am concerned about student accommodation units as opposed to beds. There has been a fall-off in their supply. Some 3,500 were completed last year, with about 1,600 units forecast for this year. That presents a lot of problems if we do not start to address the supply issue.

It is very welcome the Government is strongly committed to the development of technological universities. We are looking forward to seeing one in the south east quite soon, including a campus in Wexford. We must ensure the new technological universities have the borrowing capacity and the capacity to be able to develop on-campus accommodation. The institutes of technology were not able to do this. In addressing the student accommodation issues, broader questions are required also.

I welcome this legislation. I am aware the Minister has listened to the Union of Students in Ireland and to other student representatives on the protection of students. We are expanding rapidly the higher and further education sector. This means we must address the supply. If we can take students out of competing for other accommodation and if we can provide the on-campus accommodation, this would free up supply in other areas.

I agree with Senator Fitzpatrick that an ambitious, affordable cost rental model is a twin-track approach that can address some of the problems. The specific measures in this Bill around protecting students are very welcome. We do need, however, to look at the broader question of enhancing the supply of student accommodation and giving students certainty. The cost of student accommodation in many cases is outrageous, and I am especially shocked with some of the student accommodation fees to be charged this year at my alma mater, UCD, although that is not just a supply issue. It needs to be a priority.