2025-12-11

205. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the position regarding the publication of his Department's strategy for the provision of student accommodation and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67831/25]

In a response to a previous question, the Minister outlined very well the supports available to students and families to assist in meeting the cost of accommodation and how he has increased those supports and made them available to a greater number of students. I wish to ask the Minister about the supply of student accommodation and the position of the Department regarding the publication of a new strategy for the provision of student accommodation.

I thank the Deputy for his continued advocacy, support and championing of ideas for this sector. The national student accommodation strategy 2025 to 2035 is due to be published in the coming weeks and will be considered and agreed by Government before being officially launched. It is at a very advanced stage. The strategy aims to make higher education more accessible by addressing both affordability to ensure students can afford rents and secure accommodation and also the viability of supply, which the Deputy's question goes to, to ensure the units come into being quickly and are built out to meet that demand that very evidently exists. By providing targeted financial supports and accelerating the development of purpose-built student accommodation, PBSA, the strategy aims to remove barriers that prevent students from accessing college and pursuing their academic goals. The strategy builds on wider Government initiatives to support viability of student accommodation such as rental legislation reform where I am working closely with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on how rent pressure zones might apply to student accommodation; the budget 2026 VAT reduction on the sale of new apartments, which will be very helpful; the rent-a-room tax relief, which is a key measure involving up to €14,000 per householder tax free; and the introduction of streamlined design standards under the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2025. This is a revised set of guidelines published in June 2025 setting out a blueprint for student accommodation that delivers maximum beds per block, uses clever use of space and shared facilities such as lounge rooms and laundry rooms and seeks an optimal return on available bed usage. They are some of the measures I am introducing. I will say hello to the students from Athy as well while they are here today. It is good to have them in the audience.

It is very welcome that we would have a strategy over the coming weeks. We need it. The third level sector needs it. It is anxious to hear what will be included in it. The Minister gave some indication about how the strategy will use other policy areas or other departures in Government policy recently to make sure we can stimulate and incentivise the development and provision of student accommodation. There are a number of options in terms of incentivising people to rent out spare capacity in their homes, incentivising the private sector to get involved and public-private partnerships. If they had the choice, most people would plump for purpose-built student accommodation with some association with the third level institution in close proximity to it. I hope the strategy can include some incentivisation in that area. Could the Minister address allowing technological universities to borrow and the framework for the preparation of that, which could help in meeting that goal of developing purpose-built student accommodation?

I have a question about the funding of Killarney Technology Innovation Centre. The Minister or one of his officials might engage with Conor O'Leary, Sean Counihan and the team there. I acknowledge the work of the Minister on the Pretty Polly site. I ask him to ensure that in the new year, Kerry Education and Training Board will progress the project. Could he also try to resolve the green cert issue in MTU in Tralee for the students? If I may be a little cheeky, I wish the Cromane ladies team the very best in the all-Ireland final in Parnell Park on Sunday. I congratulate Ballymacelligott, An Ghaeltacht and Dingle on winning the junior, intermediate and senior Munster finals last weekend.

I have to wish Sallins the best of luck on Sunday in its own intermediate final, so we have to get that in as well on the day. I will take Deputy Cahill's question first and then revert to Deputy Connolly. It was good to visit Killarney and Tralee recently along with Deputy Cahill, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. It was a good visit. The Pretty Polly site is moving ahead. I know this is very important to Deputy Cahill. I was pleased to be able to confirm the progression of that site very recently, which I know was welcomed locally as well. There are still a number of steps to go through in terms of the different gates but the education and training board is progressing that project. I was delighted to visit the education and training board that day as well. The breadth of apprenticeships, in particular the wind turbine maintenance apprenticeship and the hospitality apprenticeships, and some of the other courses and skills on display that day were very strong. I thank Councillor Norma Moriarty, who is the chair of the education and training board, who gave a great tour that day. That was particularly interesting. Deputy Cahill mentioned Killarney Technology Innovation Centre. I might get one of my officials to come back to him with details on that. An issue was raised on my visit to the MTU campus in Tralee. It was mentioned that students were not receiving the green cert despite taking an agricultural course. I am engaged with discussions on that. I met the students that day and committed to coming back on that.

Given the liberty we have been shown, I have to wish Athenry ladies camogie team the best of luck in the all-Ireland final at the weekend. I look forward to the publication of the strategy. I hope that we can see some incentivisation of the third level sector to provide accommodation in close proximity to the institutions and that it will be available to students at a reasonable cost. The Minister outlined very well the supports he has provided and the increased supports he has provided. Could the Minister tell me the borrowing framework for the technological universities? It could help a lot if we could get some clarity on it.

The Deputy made a number of points. I totally agree with him that the provision of serviced sites on or adjacent to campuses is key. There is a significant earmarked fund within the student strategy and my national development plan budget to allow for those sites to progress, and to be identified and serviced, with facilities where necessary. The local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, was used in the housing sector and the technological sector student accommodation programme is under way. The Deputy might be interested that in his own area, nine submissions are in for ATU Galway. Queen Street accommodation, with 345 beds, has been developed and is due to be completed in 2026. At the end of November 2025, over 4,000 rent-a-room, or digs, beds were made available across Galway. I presume that is positive news in the Deputy's area. It is just to apprise him of that. On the borrowing framework, intense engagement is under way between my Department and the Departments of Finance and public expenditure with regard to a financial framework that will allow the technological universities partner with the private sector to deliver accommodation on or adjacent to the campuses. That will be very positive for the sector. I hope to unveil that very soon.