The North Quays project in Waterford is finally happening. It was originally conceived in the 1990s when the then Minister, Martin Cullen, launched a design competition for the north wharf. It is marvellous to see the contractor finally appointed and hard hats and white vans arriving to the site.

It took a massive and sustained effort to bring this project to fruition. That effort included predecessors of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, namely, the former Minister, Martin Cullen, and former Minister of State, Paudie Coffey, as well as the steadfast stewardship of Waterford City and County Council under Mr. Michael Walsh. I also acknowledge the Minister and his Department's front-bench engagement with me on the project.

The Minister has cut the Gordian knot and made it happen. By his action, he has gone some way to restoring the hope of Waterford for better times ahead. I also look forward to the opening of the new Irish wake museum in the heart of Waterford's Viking Triangle. I again acknowledge the support of the Minister's Department to Waterford and to me in the delivery of this further outstanding historical project to the city's impressive tourism offering.

That said, the rose is not without its thorns. The Minister's Department has let Waterford down with regard to student accommodation. The national student accommodation strategy, which began in 2016 and will run for another two years, is a shared policy between the Minister's Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Remarkably, despite all the big talk about expanding Waterford's university - big all-action talk that was in the last three programmes for Government - the Minister's plan provides for no additional student accommodation in Waterford; not a single bed more than the 2,500 or so units that have been in the city now for 20 years, many of which were developed by the old Waterford Institute of Technology, WIT, all the while providing for expansion of student accommodation in every other university city in Ireland, which the Minister's Department is doing.

I gather this plan is the reason why the Waterford Crystal site has not been acquired to date despite the Taoiseach stating in this House that it was the Government's intention to acquire that site more than two years ago. I am also given to understand it is why the LDA and other streams of public funding cannot be accessed to support student accommodation being developed in Waterford. Will the Minister build on the momentum of the north quays and commit to revising the national student accommodation strategy to put ambitious targets in place for Waterford? Without ending this discrimination, it appears we cannot unlock and unleash the significant development potential of our region.

I thank Deputy Shanahan for his comments. Specifically in relation to the North Quays project, I had the pleasure of visiting the city of Waterford on a number of occasions. The overall Exchequer commitment to Waterford on that project alone is approximately €170 million. Overall, it is approximately €200 million when the contribution from Waterford City and County Council is taken into account. I agree with the Deputy and share his words of commendation to Mr. Michael Walsh and his team in Waterford. It is an extremely progressive local authority that is doing fantastic work.

The North Quays project will be transformative. It is a fantastic city and a great county with massive potential. This Government is committed to Waterford. I know the Deputy is likewise, as is my good colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh and many others who advocate so strongly for development in Waterford. It is great to see the North Quays contracts being signed and contractors in place. I intend to visit on 6 March to see the work in progress. That will unlock so much within the city and will also be able to provide more homes in that area.

With regard to student accommodation, the Deputy will know that the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, in November received Government approval and support on outline proposals to increase the supply of student accommodation. Waterford will not be left out. The Minister last week met the chair of South East Technological University, SETU, to discuss its plans to develop additional accommodation. Those discussions are ongoing. It is the only technological university, TU, in the country that has student accommodation and it needs more. With regard to the expansion of the campus, that is still a Government commitment. Discussions are ongoing with regard to a number of options but, specifically, the Waterford Crystal site. That is something on which the Minister, Deputy Harris, is working with Government and Government colleagues.

The provision of student accommodation is so important right across the country. Many students are renting homes when they would rather be on campus in affordable student accommodation. Those homes will also be freed up when we provide more student accommodation. I commend the Minister, Deputy Harris, on the work he has done in that space. We have already been able to activate a number of paused planning permissions for student accommodation because of the initiatives brought forward by this Government to provide hundreds more student beds on campus this year at an affordable price. We want to do thousands more for students themselves, for their education and their experience in third-level and fourth-level education. Many wish to live on or close to campus in purpose-built student accommodation and we are committed to doing that. We are the first Government that brought forward a specific plan in that space. I will relay the points made by the Deputy directly to the Minister, Deputy Harris. However, the plans for expansion of the university campus are still in train and are being worked on.

It is great to hear that all these great things are going to be done. I have raised the issue of borrowing and the national student accommodation strategy a number of times, however. Despite WIT and now SETU having a track record as being the only TU in the country delivering student accommodation, it has been roundly hobbled by the Department's national strategy; so much so, in fact, that funders can see that the student accommodation in Waterford has zero Government support at this point. How can we build a functioning university in the south east if we cannot accommodate our students? This Government has been in office now for two and a half years and we have been told continually about all the great things that are going to happen for our university. I met representatives of the Department within the past ten days. No borrowing framework has been agreed. No-one is carrying hods on a site on Waterford and there are no cranes or boots on the ground. Planning permission has not even yet been secured. There are no prizes for plans. Delivered actions are what we need to see. I ask that this be actioned now.

The Deputy used the example of the North Quays project. We gave a commitment to Waterford that precedes this Government. The Deputy mentioned how this goes back to the former Minister, Martin Cullen. We have delivered on that, however. The most significant investment in the region is through the urban regeneration and development fund. People can see the colour of our money in that space and that we made good on our commitments.

As I said, the Minister, Deputy Harris, met the chair of the university last week and discussions are ongoing. Those discussions were specifically around plans to develop additional student accommodation. This Government, in our programme for Government but also in Housing for All, made a commitment to allow the technological universities to borrow and we are doing that. The borrowing frameworks are being put in place. That is a big change. We have an opportunity now to provide purpose-built affordable student accommodation in our technological universities right across the country. I can assure the Deputy that Waterford will not be left out. Those discussions are detailed and ongoing. We will keep the Deputy apprised of the progress. I thank him for his support in that regard.