Taoiseach announces State Funding for student accommodation with proportion held at discounted rents for students most in need
Posted 25 April, 2024
Pictured above (l-r): Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD; UCD Student Tishe Fatunbi; An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD; and UCD Deputy President, Registrar and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Colin Scott
An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD have announced a new major planned investment of €100 million in student accommodation to benefit over 1,000 students in Ireland.
As part of this State Funding investment in student accommodation, some 500 new on-campus accommodation places will be constructed at University College Dublin, and 30 percent of these new places will be made available to students in National Access Plan priority groupings, or categories of students eligible for support via SUSI, at a discounted (below market rate) rent.
“In my previous role, the Department and I made tackling the challenges around student accommodation a priority, an issue which is a key objective under Housing for All,” said An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD.
“We must do everything we can to make college as affordable and as accessible as possible. No one should have to turn down a college place or their dreams of pursuing higher education because they can’t access an affordable bed,” he said.
UCD students (l-r) Grace O’Donnell, Shedrack Alli, Tishe Fatunbi, Robin Jowett and Catherine Moyseyeva, pictured with An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD at Government Buildings, Dublin, at the announcement of State Funding for student accommodation
“This new State funding for student accommodation announced by An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD will enable UCD to develop an additional 493 on-campus accommodation places and allow for the University to offer a wider range of rents in order to support a more diverse range of students with on campus accommodation,” said UCD Deputy President, Registrar and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Colin Scott.
“Subject to governance approvals it is expected construction work could commence in early 2025 with the new facilities opening in 2027,” he added.
Minister Patrick O’Donovan said: “I am deeply conscious that the cost of accommodation can be a challenge for many students and would make the reality of higher education beyond the reach of many.”
“This investment, however, will help increase the supply of student housing in some of our biggest campuses and, with much of it targeted at those who need it most, we are continuing our policy of making sure education is accessible to everyone,” he added.
UCD has worked closely with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Information and Science under former Minister, and now Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD, who has championed both more and better on-campus student accommodation.
This announcement is one of many significant milestones under Housing for All which will see the Government continue to support the development of student accommodation projects around the country.
The announcement was made at Government Buildings by An Taoiseach Simon Harris TD; the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD; the Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Niall Collins TD; and the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Ossian Smyth TD.
By: Dominic Martella, Head of External Communication, Media Relations and Content, UCD University Relations
