Written answers
Thursday, 23 April 2026
Department of Education and Skills
Student Accommodation
Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the recently published National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026-2035; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29011/26]
James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026-2035 was published last month. The strategy sets out a clear, long-term pathway to improving access to higher education by tackling two key challenges: accommodation supply and viability, and affordability.
Since the first strategy was introduced in 2017, more than 16,000 purpose-built student accommodation beds have been delivered, bringing total national PBSA stock to over 49,000 beds. As of the end of March 2026, commencement notices have issued for over 2,700 beds, with a further 14,233 beds with planning permission.
Current projections indicate an emerging demand for approximately 42,000 additional student accommodation beds over the next decade, underscoring the scale of the challenge and opportunity.
The strategy responds to this by removing the barriers that have prevented student accommodation development at the scale required to meet this level of demand.
To address supply and viability the strategy sets out a balanced approach including: -
- A commitment to long term State-backed measures to activate supply, working in partnership with the private sector.
- Support for the development of accommodation on public campuses as well as on private sites near to campus, subject to State Aid clearance.
- The development of a framework, in line with relevant Departmental consents, to support universities to develop nomination agreements with the private sector.
- The expansion of the Technological Sector Student Accommodation Programme to include traditional universities enabling the sector as a whole to meet demand; and
- The enhanced supply of student beds through promotion of Rent-a-Room accommodation.
Viability is further enhanced through reductions in VAT on the sale of apartments, including PBSA, and new rules on market level resetting of rent which also provide three-year protection window in recognition of the unique circumstances faced by students.
Affordability of student accommodation is supported through a range of financial assistance schemes, including the SUSI Student Grant Scheme (with non-adjacent grants targeting students living 30 km or more from their HEI), the PATH 2 1916 Bursary, Student Accommodation Assistance, and the Student Assistance Fund. The strategy commits to targeting these supports for increases in line with the annual estimates process. Combined, these supports provide €176 million annually, alongside the rent tax credit, which offers up to €2,000 per year for jointly assessed couples or €1,000 for single applicants.
These measures, taken together, deliver a strategy that is focused on activation, acceleration, affordability and delivery ensuring we move from plans to accommodation for students across the country.
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