Written answers

Wednesday, 29 September 2021

Department of Education and Skills

Student Accommodation

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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173. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students on college waiting lists for accommodation; and his views on whether the current situation in relation to student accommodation is a crisis. [47194/21]

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I am acutely aware of the challenges facing students with regard to securing accommodation. A number of factors are exacerbating the problem this year including houses previously rented to students being rented to year-round tenants, a reluctance by people to rent rooms in their houses to students due to Covid concerns, and higher education institutions in general not offering shared rooms this year.

In the context of significant unmet demand for student accommodation, I was extremely disappointed to see the recent granting by Local Authorities of "Change of Use" permissions to allow privately-owned purpose built student accommodation be used for other purposes. This runs contrary to the Student Accommodation Strategy. I welcome the issuing by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage of a circular to Local Authorities underscoring the critical need for purpose-built student accommodation to be available to meet the needs of students in third level education.

Housing For All, the Government's recently announce plan for housing, contains a commitment to support technological universities to develop purpose-built student accommodation where such a requirement exists, through access to appropriate financing, and a specific action in relation to legislating to allow for Technological Universities to borrow from the Housing Finance Agency.  

My officials and I will continue to work with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the universities, and the Union of Students in Ireland on these issues.

My Department does not hold the specific information sought with regard to waiting lists.

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