Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 December 2022
200. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the qualifications of affordable rents that third level institutions must abide by if they are to receive State funding for the building of student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62540/22]
View answerMy Department has been engaged intensively in the context both of the pressures within the student and residential rental market. This combined with the escalation in building costs which has slowed the construction of purpose built student accommodation by publicly funded higher education institutions, are presenting significant difficulties for students in terms of supply and affordability of accommodation.
In response to these pressures on 29th November I received Government approval to proceed with a dual track approach to respond to the issue of affordable student accommodation. The approach adopted will see the State assist with the cost of building student accommodation so as to ensure increased availability and promote greater access, in particular for priority student groups identified in the National Access Plan which was published in August.
Central to this new policy is promotion of the delivery of additional student accommodation and provision of resources to ensure that those most in need are prioritised.
The immediate priority response is to deliver on projects where planning permission have been activated already exists but where developments have not proceeded due to increasing construction costs. Support for three such proposals is being made available in respect of the University of Limerick, Maynooth University and the University of Galway; subject to the necessary completion of procurement, legal parameters or other requirements of the public spending code. The proposals entail up to 700 additional beds of which it is anticipated that at least 30% will be made available at discounted rates for defined priority groups.
My officials and the HEA are currently working to finalise the details of this short term response and undertake the necessary compliance checks. In addition long term policy responses are being developed which will be informed through a data based approach. This data is currently being co-ordinated for analysis. Further details will be made available once these processes have been formalised.
