Student Accommodation and Supports: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-26
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James Lawless (FF), Kildare North

Grand. I thank Senator Dee Ryan for setting out a number of items that I have been progressing over the past year. I thank her for her support on that as well as Fianna Fáil spokesperson in the Seanad, and indeed the wider team. I thank the wider House for its ongoing engagement on these matters. It was a pleasure to visit Limerick recently with Senator Ryan and see the Whitebox development with 1,500 beds that are about to come on stream. It utilised the new design template that I published. It was great to see that bearing fruit already in them being able to use it. We published that ahead of the wider strategy last June. They used that in their design and it is now coming on stream, so that is great to see. I take the point about local authorities playing a part as well. That is very important. This is something where the State must use all levers at its disposal - State lands and assets, local authorities, agencies and the colleges themselves. We all need to work together to make that happen.
Of course, the Senator stepped through the viability measures including the 9% VAT rate and a variety of measures we need to look at. On the protection window, which I am going to turn to a couple of times, a number of people spoke about rent caps and protecting students. As Senator Ryan outlined, I have included in the legislation, which is now on the Statute Book, a three-year carve-out. No student can have their rent reset for a minimum of three years into their tenancy, despite the fact that students will, very often, come and go by summer. It is stitched into the law now that regardless of how many times students come and go from a particular unit, the rent cannot be reset other than after a minimum three-year window, which is very important.
Senator Boyhan talked about a number of things. I acknowledge his comments on innovation and research. We might return to those in here another day. He mentioned Trinity College Dublin, TCD, and Dartry Hall. For the information of the House - people may or may not be aware - I have approved a project under the short-term activation fund to deliver, I think, 350-odd beds in Dartry Hall. It is either under way or will certainly be getting under way very quickly. That will progress well and it is, again, a really tangible impact with beds coming on stream. I also take on board - I am sure he will have a look back - the Senator's comments around the idea of a free hot meal for third level students. It is something I will examine as a pilot. I would mention the student assistance fund, which is a €20 million fund. Senator Boyhan is on cue; we could not have Hamlet without the prince.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-26