Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the disparity between rents being charged in private purpose built student accommodation (details supplied) and the average rent which DIT estimate students currently pay, which is €348 per month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14148/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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242. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated number of beds in purpose built student accommodation that are currently let to students in receipt of a partial or full student grant, students paying EU fees and students paying international fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14149/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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388. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the disparity between rents being charged in private purpose built student accommodation (details supplied) and the full maintenance grant, which is less than one quarter of the annual rent charged for such purpose built student accommodation; his views on whether this will be a further impediment to access third level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14150/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 241, 242 and 388 together.

Firstly, I should point out that the student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional support to those students who may be living away from home.

Secondly, and turning specifically to the area of Student Accommodation, the Deputy will be aware of the HEA report, Student Accommodation: Demand & Supply, published by my predecessor in 2015.

Subsequent to this, my colleague Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, on 19 July 2016 published “Rebuilding Ireland – an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness”, following Government approval of this comprehensive and ambitious Plan. The full plan can be accessed at:

My Department worked closely with the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in developing this Plan, with a specific focus on student accommodation.

Pillar 4 of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan committed to development of a comprehensive strategy for the rental sector and this was delivered, with the publication of the Strategy for the Rental Sector. The Strategy introduced a Rent Predictability Measure to moderate rent increases in those parts of the country where the imbalance between demand and supply of rental accommodation is driving rent levels upwards most acutely. The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 gave effect to, and provided for the immediate implementation of, the Rent Predictability Measure. Areas of the country satisfying the statutory criteria will be designated as Rent Pressure Zones and rent increases in those areas are generally capped at 4% per annum for a period of 3 years. The measure was introduced with immediate effect in the four Dublin Local Authority areas and in Cork City. A further 12 Local Electoral Areas were designated as Rent Pressure Zones on 27 January 2017.

The most effective way to reduce and stabilise rents in the long-term is to increase supply and accelerate delivery of all types of housing. As outlined in the Action Plan for Education 2017 which was published on 6 February 2017 and in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan, my officials have been working closely with officials from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and with other relevant stakeholders with a view to implementing all of the relevant actions in relation to student accommodation that were detailed in Rebuilding Ireland. This includes the development of a national student accommodation strategy which is due for completion in Q2 2017 and which will set out a broad framework for delivery of an enhanced level of student accommodation.

Finally, the information requested by the Deputy, regarding the number of beds in purpose built student accommodation that are currently let to students in receipt of a partial or full student grant, students paying EU fees and students paying international fees, is not collected by my Department and would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources to compile.