Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2023
139. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if Budget 2024 will include measures to ensure that student accommodation is affordable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26747/23]
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 will see the State providing financial support for the construction of student accommodation to ensure increased availability and promote greater access in particular for targeted student groups in line with the National Access Plan, and to underpin the policy commitments set out in Housing for All.
At the heart of the new policy is a commitment to deliver student accommodation to those most in need, and to provide it at affordable rates. At a minimum, 30% of the beds will be made available at discounted rates for the target group of students.
I have already established a dedicated student accommodation unit in my Department to develop and implement this policy alongside the Higher Education Authority. Since taking up office, my Department officials and I have engaged and continue to engage on an ongoing basis with the Minister and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the wider higher education sector, and other key stakeholders on student accommodation issues.
In the short term, Government has approved funding to support development of 1,071 beds for students of the University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Maynooth University and the University of Galway which have planning permission granted but had stalled.
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 next academic year.
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; work is ongoing across the relevant Departments to progress the implementation of these changes.
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 underway.
