Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the details of any plans to increase the availability and affordability of student accommodation. [59578/22]

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

The difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation is an issue of which Government and I are actively pursuing. We are committed to addressing supply of affordable student accommodation for priority group students attending publicly funded higher education institutions in Ireland.

Fundamentally the challenge is one of supply of housing more generally. As a country, we know that we need to dramatically increase the supply of all types of housing and accommodation, including student accommodation. That is why the Government launched Housing for All, led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage setting out a series of actions which will be delivered to address the housing crisis. 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. Since taking up office, both 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 and the wider higher education sector and relevant stakeholders on student accommodation issues including within the context of the advancement of the Government's Housing for All policy.

In response to this issue and to increase supply, I brought proposals to Government this week setting out a new policy that supports the delivery of additional purpose-built student accommodation for publicly funded HEI's. I am pleased to confirm Government has approved my proposed policy response to activate supply of 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. At the heart of the new policy is a commitment to deliver student accommodation to those most in need, and to provide it at affordable rates.

I have already established a dedicated unit for student accommodation in my Department to develop and implement this policy alongside the HEA.

Government has also agreed to a short-term activation plan to stimulate the supply of affordable accommodation for students attending college in UL, MU and UG with the development of up to 700 beds. The immediate priority is to deliver on projects where planning permission already exists but where developments have not proceeded due to increasing construction costs. In addition, my officials and I are continuing to engage with a number of other providers to evaluate proposals for activation of projects with planning permission for the provision of further additional supply.

I will also begin to prepare our Technological Universities for the construction of student accommodation. In order for our TUs to thrive and to ensure we have balanced regional development; we need to have more student accommodation in our regions. Our TUs are ready for the challenge and this funding will start them on their path.