Rose Conway-Walsh: Declares student housing an emergency
Rose Conway-Walsh addressed the Dáil about the student accommodation crisis, calling it an emergency and urging the government to fund purpose-built student accommodation and stop conversions to tourist accommodation. She cited the TU report's estimate of £14,000 a year per student and warned that families with two or three students "haven't a hope in hell."
Student housing emergency
Rose Conway-Walsh told the Tanaiste and Taoiseach that the unaffordability and unavailability of student housing is now an absolute emergency, stressing the immediate impact on students and struggling families. She framed the situation as a cost-of-surviving issue rather than a routine cost-of-living concern.
Calls for immediate government action
She demanded a commitment to fund purpose-built student accommodation and pressed for an end to the conversion of purpose-built student accommodation into tourist accommodation, arguing that measures due in 2022 are too late. Her speech insisted on urgent, direct interventions to protect students and families.
Government response
The minister acknowledged a severe shortage of student accommodation and agreed that many students find it unaffordable or unavailable. The minister listed a mix of causes - some long-standing, some COVID-related, and some due to increased third-level participation - and pointed to an existing student accommodation strategy with implemented measures.
Existing measures and financing
The minister highlighted measures already in place, including caps on rent increases and bans on very large lump-sum charges. Universities and technology universities have been given authority to borrow to build student-only, purpose-built accommodation on or near campuses on a cost-rental basis, but the minister warned that construction will take time.
Predictable future demand
Conway-Walsh emphasised that future student accommodation needs are predictable - noting that it is possible to estimate demand 20 years ahead - and used that predictability to argue for immediate, planned building and funding to avoid worsening the crisis.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Tanaiste, Taoiseach, I listened really intently to what you had to say around student accommodation and I also listened to what the Taoiseach had said in the last couple of days in terms of that he was going to keep a close eye on it and there was limits to what government can do about it. That just tells me and it tells students and their struggling families that you and this government are completely out of touch with where things are at. The TU report estimated that costs of students who need accommodation was £14,000 a year. That's for one student. For families who have two and three students, they haven't a hope in hell. We talk about cost of living. It's the cost of surviving for these families and for these students. Will you accept now, Tanaiste, that the unaffordability and the unavailability of the student housing crisis is now an absolute emergency? And I think that's what this government doesn't get. It's an emergency. We know with all certainty today, we know how much student accommodation is going to be needed in 20 years' time for babies born today. We know what the percentages are there. It's completely predictable. Will you commit to funding the purpose-built student accommodation and, as I've been asking for months, will you end the conversion of purpose-built student accommodation to tourist accommodation? 2022 is too late. Margaret, to conclude. Mr Deputy, the Government absolutely acknowledges that we have a severe shortage of student accommodation across the country, that for very many students it's unaffordable, for others it's unavailable. There are lots of reasons for that, some long-standing, some related to COVID, some related to the big increase in the number of people attending third level, which I know we all welcome. We have a student accommodation strategy that includes measures that have been implemented already, such as caps on rent increases, banning accommodation providers from charging very large lump sums. Fundamentally, what it requires, and I agree with you on this, is more building of student-only accommodation or purpose-built student accommodation on campuses and near campuses. We're giving the universities and the technology universities the authority to borrow to do that and to do it on a cost-rental basis. But, as the teacher acknowledged, that will take some time. Thank you.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
