Student Accommodation
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-11
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James Lawless (FF), Kildare North

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.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-11