Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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317. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of beds that are available in purpose-built student accommodation in Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Galway; the number of new beds which have been made available in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; the current number of units that are currently under construction, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14391/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of and actively addressing the difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation. Fundamentally the challenge of affordable student accommodation is one of supply of housing more generally, and the impact of the global economy on the cost of construction.

To assist with the shortage of accommodation for our students, on 29 November 2022, I secured Government approval to develop both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply of affordable student accommodation.

These landmark policy responses will, for the first time, see the state providing financial support for the construction of student accommodation, and underpins the policy commitments set out in Housing for All and the National Access Plan.They will ensure increased availability of and promote greater access to student accommodation, in particular for disadvantaged students.

To date our Government has approved funding support to develop nearly 1,100 additional accommodation units for students across a number of universities. These developments have or will imminently have planning permission but have stalled as a result of increased construction costs.

In parallel, longer term policy development is being advanced to examine a broader range of methods to increase supply of student accommodation. Support of €1m is being provided to our Technological Universities (TUs) to conduct a needs assessment and to identify appropriate regional activation responses. The funding will provide consultancy support to undertake a cohesive and regional focused feasibility study for each TU.

My Department is continuing to examine larger scale proposals with planning permission with potential phasing options at UCD, UCD and UCC also have projects that could potentially benefit from the short-term activation scheme, whilst we finalise the methodology for a long term state supported student accommodation scheme.

In parallel, further policy development is being advanced to examine a broader range of methods to increase supply of student accommodation.

In response to the queries raised by the Deputy, my Department receives reporting on the completion of both public and private student accommodation bed spaces since 2016. The total number of PBSA bed spaces across Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Galway, at the end of 2022, was over 36,000

The below tables provide the information requested:

• The total number of beds which are available in purpose built student accommodation in Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Galway.
• The number of new beds which have been made available in each of the years from 2019 to 2022 in Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Galway.
• The number of units currently under construction in Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Galway