Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2015
538. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views regarding the shortage of accommodation for university students; the steps she is taking to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24652/15]
View answerI appreciate the concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students and for that reason I have asked the HEA to report on this issue. The HEA are currently working on a draft report on student accommodation which will be available shortly and will give us an up to date picture of the situation.
Some institutions provide a range of accommodation, and all colleges have an obligation to work with students' unions and other groups, to provide students with details on accommodation options.
Initiatives such as USI's 'Homes for Study' are of help to students and list suitable accommodation available to rent across Ireland. I will continue to work with stakeholders to explore ways to increase the availability of student accommodation.
In the longer term, the Government is committed to addressing the housing shortage through the Construction 2020 strategy. This will not resolve all of our problems immediately, but I am confident that the implementation of Construction 2020 will create the conditions necessary to ensure the delivery of social and economic infrastructure that will allow people, including students to live and work in a built environment that is user friendly, safe, secure and sustainable.
