Government needs to tackle student accomodation shortage, says O’Connell

Confirmation that the Government’s new Student Accommodation Strategy will be completed in the coming weeks is a major step, but strategy must address students concerns, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Dublin Rathdown TD Maeve O’Connell said following reports of student accommodation shortages, the strategy must address shortfalls in student accommodation across the country.

At the most recent meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Deputy O’Connell raised the need to publish the long-awaited Student Accommodation Strategy as soon as possible so higher education institutions and students can plan ahead.

“For some time now, we have been told that a new Student Accommodation Strategy will be published shortly but we have had no further details on when it would be published and what it would include. I’m delighted to have received confirmation it will be published soon.

“It was disappointing to see a report from Sherry Fitzgerald yesterday that we need at least 38,000 additional student bedspaces across Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.

“As Fine Gael’s spokesperson for Further and Higher Education, I have met with students and the management teams of many of our higher educational institutions.

“These institutions are all clearly committed to increase the levels of student accommodation on offer. While progress is being made, with a significant new development recently breaking ground in UCD, we still need to see a comprehensive plan in the strategy to ensure that we can firmly get a grip on the needs of the sector.

“Having spoken with many concerned colleagues and constituents, I raised these reports at the committee and asked for the publication of the strategy to be prioritised.

“It’s great news to finally have an idea of when our higher education institutions and private purpose-built student accommodation providers can expect to see our strategy and adjust their own plans accordingly,” concluded Deputy O’Connell