Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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1170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on funding allocations for student accommodation developments at regional universities and technological universities. [62969/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Short-Term Activation Programme (STAP), the Government allocated €100 million in capital funding to deliver urgently needed purpose-built student accommodation and to support stalled university projects.

The first STAP project, providing 116 new beds at Maynooth University, opened to students on 8 September 2025. A further 493-bed project at University College Dublin received ministerial approval on 5 September 2025, with construction due to commence shortly. Thirty percent of all new beds delivered under STAP will be made available below market rates.

In 2022, €1m was approved to assist the Technological Sector to develop a student accommodation programme. The Technological Sector Student Accommodation Programme (TSSAP) is progressing following completion of feasibility studies in 2024–2025. Managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department, the programme will move to the Preliminary Business Case (PBC) stage for successful projects during 2026. This process will inform a framework for delivery models and funding options, including advancing a borrowing mechanism to unlock additional purpose-built student accommodation for the technological university sector.

In addition, Budget 2025 saw an investment of €7.5 million annual and recurrent funding for student accommodation initiatives.

The forthcoming National Student Accommodation Strategy 2025-2035 will set out the long-term framework for increasing the supply of student housing and supporting affordability measures for students across publicly funded higher education institutions.