Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2019
94. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on the findings of a recent report that found 80% of students living in purpose-built student bed spaces in Dublin were international students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16372/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraPillar 4 of the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, published in July 2016, focuses on the supply of rented accommodation and includes actions to enhance the supply of student accommodation. The National Student Accommodation Strategy was subsequently launched in July 2017 by the Minister for Education and Skills.
Recent analysis from the Higher Education Authority has indicated that, by September 2018, over 5,500 bed-spaces had been delivered since the publication of Rebuilding Ireland. Some 4,800 additional bed-spaces are currently under construction nationally, with over 7,900 further bed-spaces having received planning permission and are yet to commence construction. These figures indicate that the National Student Accommodation Strategy's Private Build Student Accommodation (PBSA) construction targets will be met, and indeed surpassed, and that significant progress is being made in the provision of newly constructed accommodation for this distinct segment of housing demand. The increase in new student accommodation, as detailed above, is contributing to the increase in the overall stock of residential accommodation nationally and easing pressures in the broader rental sector, which benefits all students seeking rental accommodation, regardless of country of origin.
