Plans to increase student accommodation
Minister Lawless announces launch of process to support delivery of up to 3,300 new student accommodation beds
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, has announced the publication of an Expression of Interest (EOI) process to support the delivery of thousands of new third level student beds under the Higher Education Institutions Student Accommodation Programme.
As part of the EOI process, interested parties from the construction and development sector are invited to play a central role in shaping the future of student accommodation in Ireland.
The programme is a key initiative of the National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026–2035, designed to support the delivery of additional purpose-built student accommodation and increase the availability of student housing.
The on-campus sites identified in this EOI process offer strong development potential and a unique opportunity to deliver high-quality student accommodation in prime locations across the country, that will enhance access to education, support vibrant student communities and make a meaningful contribution to increasing accommodation supply.
This phase of the programme has the potential to deliver up to 3,300 new on-campus beds, while also supporting the development of significant additional off-campus capacity.
There are two distinct EOIs in Phase 1A:
- The first pertains to potential on-campus student accommodation projects at Technological University Dublin Grangegorman, Munster Technological University in Cork, Atlantic Technological University in Galway, and Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology.
- The second relates to off-campus locations near Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Cork, Galway and Dublin.
Further phases of the programme are planned for other locations in the coming months.
Announcing the EOI, Minister Lawless said: "The availability of affordable student accommodation remains one of the key challenges facing students and their families. Through the Higher Education Institution Student Accommodation Programme, we are working closely with the relevant sectors to support the delivery of additional beds, to ensure that students can access and participate in higher education, regardless of where they live.
"The publication of these Expressions of Interest is an important step towards establishing a pipeline of viable projects that can help address student accommodation needs across the country.
"We have consulted extensively with stakeholders over recent months, and I encourage those with the vision and capacity to deliver high-quality student accommodation to engage with this important opportunity. The insights provided will be invaluable in informing ambitious proposals that can make a real difference for students.
"I would like to acknowledge and thank Programme Board members, including the National Development Finance Agency, the Higher Education Authority and representatives of HEIs and the Grangegorman Development Agency, for their commitment and leadership in advancing this important EOI initiative.”
The purpose of the EOIs is to gather information on market appetite and readiness; potential development, funding and operational structures; identification of any barriers to development; and determination of suitable viable sites for student accommodation. Site assessments have been provided for each of the four on-campus sites to assist developers in preparing informed and comprehensive responses to the Expression of Interest process.
The EOIs also seek to assess the extent to which student accommodation can be delivered at or below market rent. This information will assist in refining potential delivery models, as well as any potential future competitive process.
The invitation to submit EOIs was issued to the market on Friday, 30 October via the e-Tenders portal and the Official Journal of the European Union. Further details are available here.
