Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the engagements that he has had recently with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to student accommodation. [51608/22]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that are being taken to unlock the 3,000 student accommodation beds in college-owned projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51725/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 128 together.

The student accommodation sector is facing many of the same challenges as other parts of the wider housing market, particularly in relation to construction inflation.

Accommodation shortages in the private rental market have impacted significantly on students this year.

Fundamentally, the challenge is one of supply. As a country, we need to dramatically increase the supply of all types of housing and accommodation, including student accommodation.

To increase supply, I am currently developing a new policy that supports the delivery of additional purpose-built student accommodation.

This will involve the State for the first time assisting with the cost of building student accommodation so as to ensure increased availability and promote greater access in particular for student groups in line with the National Access Plan. I have established a dedicated Student Accommodation Unit which will bring forward this new Student Accommodation policy as a matter of urgency.

I will be bringing this new policy to Government shortly.

Housing For Allcontains also contains a commitment to support technological universities (TUs) to develop purpose-built student accommodation where such a requirement exists.

My Department officials and I have engaged and continue to engage on an ongoing basis with the Minister and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on student accommodation issues including within the context of the advancement of the Government's Housing for Allpolicy.I have also engaged over the course of the year with higher education institutions in relation to identifying local solutions in the immediate term.