Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2026
386. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures being taken to improve student accommodation affordability and access in Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11028/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026-2035 is expected to be published in the coming weeks, it supports access to suitable accommodation for full-time students in publicly funded higher education institutions (HEIs) and aims to deliver additional student beds to meet projected demand by 2035, without additional recourse to the private rental market.
By providing targeted financial supports for students and accelerating the development of purpose-built student accommodation, the Government is removing barriers that prevent talented individuals from pursuing their academic goals.
The Strategy sets out a clear vision to make higher education more accessible and sustainable by addressing two distinct challenges: accommodation affordability and accommodation supply and viability.
Affordability remains central to our approach and is addressed by focusing on direct financial supports to students. Last year, more than €16 million was provided through the Student Assistance Fund to support learners with rent and related living costs. Budget 2026 also provides for a significant increase in non adjacent maintenance supports for students living more than 30 kilometres from their institution, assisting almost 30,000 learners.
Under the Short-Term Activation Programme, a total of 967 student accommodation beds have either been delivered or are currently progressing through the approval process. This includes a project at Maynooth University, which has successfully delivered 116 beds for the current academic year.
As of December 2025, more than 600 private sector student beds have been granted planning permission in Kildare with an additional 263 student beds applied for. For the week ending 2 January 2026, over 5,100 digs beds were advertised by HEIs, including 405 in Maynooth.
