Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
1804. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans being developed to increase student accommodation units for the 2023/2024 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16573/23]
View answerI am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of Universities had to pause their projects. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply.
These landmark policy responses being implemented under Government's Housing for All Strategy will see the State providing financial support for the construction of student accommodation, and underpin the policy commitments set out in Housing for All and the National Access Plan.
In the short term, Government has approved funding to support development of 1,065 beds for students of the University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Maynooth University and the University of Galway which have planning permission granted or at an imminent stage, but are stalled.
My Department and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) are actively working through the financial and governance due diligence process for these projects and have contracted Mazars to undertake a feasibility study on these projects, in line with the Public Spending Code.
In addition, the Department is working continuously with the Office of the Attorney General to address EU State Aid requirements.
My officials are also examining potential developments at UCD and TCD, and UCC also has proposals in development.
These proposals are in addition to the 1,806 student accommodation beds delivered in the last year, with a further 929 beds due to open in Cork and Galway before the start of the 2023/24 academic year. There are also 2,057 additional beds currently under construction through private purpose built developments which will be delivered in the short term.
In parallel, longer term policy development is being advanced to examine a broader range of methods to increase supply of student accommodation. Support of €1m is also being provided to our Technological Universities (TUs) to conduct a needs assessment and my Department is examining the development of a TU Borrowing Framework in conjunction with other Government Departments, as part of the range of student accommodation initiatives under way.
In addition to stimulating purpose built student accommodation by higher education institutions my Department is encouraging the bringing on stream of additional units through minor capital grants, promotion of digs accommodation and utilisation of the rent a room scheme.
The recent extension to the rent a room scheme means that income generated is disregarded for social welfare and student grant assessment purposes. Approval was also given to disregard this income for medical card assessment purposes and also to allow Local Authority tenants to access the scheme.
My officials and I are continuing to work alongside our Government colleagues to examine these range of measures to assist students with accommodation.
