Simon Harris: ‘Affordable, on-campus accommodation a priority for ATU Donegal’

Housing is one of the greatest challenges facing our country and every sector of society has to play its part in responding

As Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, I believe student accommodation can play an integral part in freeing up the private rental market for families, or young professionals.

That is why I have published a new student accommodation policy which will see, for the first time ever, the State fund the development of purpose-built and affordable student accommodation on college campuses.

This is a significant change in policy. Until now, the State relied on the private market to deliver student housing.

This policy turns the dial and commits State investment to building more houses for students.

This has a double benefit. Every student accommodation bed provides a student with a house close to their campus and ends the practice where students are competing with families for rental properties in big cities.

And we will do this in a number of ways. We will commit more State investment to building more on campus accommodation. We will provide funding in order to repurpose vacant accommodation into housing for students. This can be on campus or close to the college.

We will also reduce the cost of the accommodation through the use of a standardised design. This means there will be no frills or perks for students – they don’t want them and they don’t want to pay for them.

As part of this plan, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) will be asked to put in their bid for student accommodation.

We know ATU is excited by the opportunity to develop student accommodation. And my Department and I are very willing to help make it happen.

The creation of a new university in the west and northwest has been an incredible success, and one which has the potential to further fuel the local economy with a highly skilled workforce.

But in order to bring the institution to the next level, we must make the delivery of affordable, on-campus accommodation a priority.

Technological Universities have until mid-March to get their proposals in and we will work with them to get these projects delivered.

This new long-term policy is a win-win for both students and young families in the private rental market. It will help increase the supply of student housing in campuses across the country but will also help families and others from having to compete with students for private rental accommodation.

Over the coming months and years I believe this policy will make real and tangible changes to the delivery of student accommodation across the west, northwest and the entire country.

And it’s important that it does – because student housing can be key to resolving the pressures our students and other rents are facing.

* Simon Harris TD is Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science