Housing Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017

Monday, 11 September 2017

Questions (1970)

John Brassil

Question:

1970. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 105 of 1 June 2017, the number of the 1,117 additional bed spaces of purpose built student accommodation completed since publishing the Rebuilding Ireland action plan in July 2016 which were in County Kerry; the number of the 8,670 student accommodation beds that are expected to be developed nationally by 2019 located in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37253/17]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government

The Higher Education Authority published the Report on Student Accommodation: Demand & Supply in 2015 which indicated that the demand for student accommodation currently exceeded supply in certain parts of the country. The report included extensive discussions with Higher Education Institutes and other stakeholders and found that the shortages of available accommodation are high in Dublin, Cork and Galway and to a lesser extent in Limerick.  Student accommodation in other geographical areas, including Kerry, was assessed to be generally sufficient to meet demand.  

From the ongoing monitoring of planning and development projects by the Higher Education Authority, I understand that there have been no substantial purpose-built student accommodation projects built in Kerry since the publication of Rebuilding Ireland in July 2016. This HEA monitoring also indicates that there are no purpose-built student accommodation projects in the pre-planning or planning application stages currently.