1483. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department has taken to resolve the shortage of student accommodation in the State. [64153/26]

Under my department's €100 million Short-Term Activation Programme (STAP), a total of 967 student accommodation beds has either been delivered, are under construction, or are progressing through the relevant stages, for Maynooth University (116 beds completed), University College Dublin (493 beds under construction) and Trinity College Dublin (358 beds at tender stage).

I also recently published the National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026–2035 in March 2026, which sets out a long-term framework to increase accommodation supply, improve affordability and support the sustainable delivery of student accommodation nationwide.

Pillar One focuses on activating supply of 42,000 student beds, including On and Off Campus PBSA and Rent?a?Room beds over a ten-year period to meet the projected levels of student demand. This will be achieved by creating the environment to attract private investment into the sector and by promoting Rent?a?Room accommodation as an efficient use of existing housing stock.

A key initiative under the Strategy, the HEI Student Accommodation Programme (HSAP) is being progressed by my department, supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). The programme will assist HEIs in securing additional PBSA capacity, through private development, delivering accommodation on or near campus via nomination agreements, licensed sites, and site servicing arrangements.

Phase 1 covers publicly funded HEI’s in Dublin, Cork, and Galway, with phase 2 extending to Waterford, Limerick, Athlone and then moving to other regions.

Recent Government actions, including VAT reductions, changes to planning and rent control measures, are expected to help support the activation of student beds that have planning permission but have not proceeded to construction.

I am also continuing to promote additional supply through the Rent-a-Room Scheme. I recently launched a campaign backed by research encouraging homeowners to rent their rooms to students. As of September 2026, over 5,000 student beds are being advertised through higher education institutions.

Since 2017, 16,685 PBSA beds have been completed nationwide, bringing total stock to over 49,600. As of the end of August 2026, commencement notices have issued for 3,154 student beds. Planning permission has been granted for 15,815 beds with 1,111 beds awaiting a planning decision.