Michael D'Arcy
Ceist:76 Mr. D'Arcy asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress, if any, made in the past year in providing on-campus accommodation for third level students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19997/99]
Written Answers. - Student Accommodation.
I am aware of current supply pressures in the private rented sector. Section 50 of the Finance Act, 1999, was introduced specifically in order to relieve some of the supply pressure by providing a scheme of tax relief for rented residential accommodation for third level students. For the purposes of the scheme, properties qualifying for relief are campus areas, approved by an eligible educational institution, which are either on-campus or within an eight kilometre radius of the main campus.
The provision of on-campus accommodation is ongoing in the third level sector and is primarily a matter for the educational institution authorities. My Department is aware that on-campus accommodation for 700 students is expected to be completed well in advance of the next academic year at the Galway campus of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology while approval for on-campus accommodation in respect of 450 bed spaces has been sanctioned by the University of Limerick.
A number of developers have made initial inquiries or submitted applications to educational institutions in respect of developments which are within eight kilometres of the eligible institutions and to date four such applications have received approval from the educational institutions concerned.