Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 3

Written Answers - Institutes of Technology.

Richard Bruton

Question:

292 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Dublin Institute of Technology does not have student accommodation or sports facilities; the plans, if any, he has to provide these facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26432/99]

Liam Aylward

Question:

293 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science the consideration, if any, he will give to the provision of accommodation and sports facilities at Dublin Institute of Technology on a par with the facilities available to students and staff in Trinity College and Dublin City University. [26499/99]

Róisín Shortall

Question:

307 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to provide residential accommodation and adequate sports facilities for the Dublin Institute of Technology in order to bring it up to a level comparable with all of the universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25962/99]

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

312 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will allocate the resources to facilitate Dublin Institute of Technology to provide sports facilities and residential accommodation for its students, now numbering approximately 23,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26034/99]

John V. Farrelly

Question:

321 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has received an application from the Dublin Institute of Technology regarding funding for student accommodation; if he will make money available from the 2000 Estimates to have this matter rectified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26103/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 292, 293, 307, 310, 312, 319 and 321 together.

The Dublin Institute of Technology consists in physical resources of ten acres of land spread over seven major sites, all of which are covered by buildings. These buildings together with premises which the Dublin Institute of Technology is currently renting are required for the delivery of the full range of courses on offer from the Dublin Institute of Technology.

A site of 65 acres at St. Brendan's Psychiatric Unit, Grangegorman is no longer required by the Eastern Health Board and would meet the requirements of the Dublin Institute of Technology for additional space. This space would address the concerns of the Dublin Institute of Technology in respect of student accommodation, sports fields and other amenities. This matter is under active consideration.

I met the officers of the Union of Students in Ireland – USI – on 24 November 1999 and discussed a range of issues including purpose built student accommodation. In this regard, I explained how an across-the-board major increase in student grants was not an appropriate response to the accommodation difficulties being encountered by students and that the core issue is a need to increase the availability of dedicated student housing and the resultant release of pressure from the rented sector. While the State does not directly provide student accommodation, provision has been made in section 50 of the Finance Act to provide a scheme of tax relief for rented residential accommodation for third level students. I understand that a number of developers have made initial inquiries or submitted applications to educational institutions in respect of developments which are within 8km of the eligible institutions and to date four such applications have received approval.