Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
368. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether, prior to the commencement of the Room for a Student – Local Authority Tenancies Scheme on 1 December 2023, his Department prepared any policy modelling, capacity assessment or impact analysis of potential participation levels among local authority tenants; whether such analysis informed Cabinet approval; and whether he will provide the aggregate findings [16002/26]
View answer397. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has undertaken any formal governance review of the Room for a Student – Local Authority Tenancies Scheme since its commencement on 1 December 2023; whether any briefing was prepared by his Department regarding scheme performance relative to projected uptake; and whether any policy modifications are under consideration arising from that review. [15968/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 397 together.
My Department provided for the extension of the Revenue Rent-a-Room Tax Relief Scheme to permit local authority tenancies access the scheme and worked closely with the City and County Management Association (CCMA) to introduce the 'Room for a Student - Local Authority Scheme'.
The scheme, which came into operation on 1 December 2023, is demand led, operated on an administrative basis by the local authorities and allows approved local authority tenants to rent out a room in their home to eligible third level students. The scheme was monitored for a period of 12 months, and data on the uptake of the scheme for the period December 2023 to December 2024 may be found in the table attached. More recent data on the take-up of the scheme can be obtained from individual local authorities.
My Department will continue to work with local authorities to support the administration of the scheme locally. I have no plans to review the scheme at this time.
Room for a Student – Local Authority Tenancies Scheme – Applications Dec 23- Dec 24
|
- |
Complete Applications |
Incomplete Applications |
Applications Refused |
Applications Approved |
|
Carlow County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cavan County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Clare County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cork City Council |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Cork County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Donegal County Council |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Dublin City Council |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Fingal County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway City Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway County Council |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kerry County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kildare County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Laois County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
*Limerick City and County |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Longford County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Louth County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mayo County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Meath County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offaly County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sligo County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Waterford City and County |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Wexford County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
9 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
*1 application to Limerick CCC was withdrawn by the applicant
