Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

101. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the measures that he intends to take to make student accommodation affordable given that it is a major barrier to people taking up college places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51658/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Government is acutely aware of the issues being faced by students trying to source affordable accommodation. It must be recognised, however, that fundamentally, the challenge is one of supply of housing more generally. That is why Government launched Housing for All, led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The plan is backed by the largest housing budget in the history of the State to transform our housing system, in excess of €20 billion.

This summer I met with the presidents and chairs of all the traditional universities and technological universities (TUs) to discuss any immediate proposals they may have identified for additional student accommodation.

In a welcome development, the sector indicates that hundreds of additional bed spaces have been made available by higher education institutions for the start of this academic year and University of Galway is to deliver some 674 new bed spaces later next year.

I also brought a proposal on student accommodation to the Cabinet Committee on Housing and received support to progress a new policy that supports the delivery of additional purpose-built student accommodation.

This would involve the State for the first time assisting higher education institutions with the cost of building student accommodation so as to ensure increased availability and promote greater access in particular for priority student groups in line with the national access plan. To advance this work I have recently established a dedicated Student Accommodation Unit to draft an updated policy for Student Housing and Accommodation as a matter of urgency. This unit will lead the examination and development of a range of policy options to increase supply in the context of Government's overall Housing for All policy.

Government has also implemented restrictions to limit the amount that students can be required to pay up-front for their accommodation. The total amount that anyone is required to pay to a landlord by way of a deposit is now no more than the equivalent of 2 months’ rent – that is one month’s rent, and one month’s deposit. In addition, student accommodation is subject to rent pressure zone caps and students now have recourse to the Residential Tenancies Board for dispute resolution where appropriate.

It is also open to homeowners to rent a room to students and homeowners can rent a room, retain their social welfare entitlements where applicable, and earn up to €14,000 in rental income before having to pay tax. All higher education institutions continue to support their students to find accommodation in the private rental sector. Institutions are actively promoting this option in their localities. This is an approach Government fully supports and encourages.