Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Gavan for the amendment. There is a technical reason I cannot accept it, which I will read out, and I will then comment on the substantive issue he and Senator Dolan raised. The amendment would amend the definition of "an institution of higher education" under the Housing Finance Act to which the Housing Finance Agency, for the purpose of providing accommodation for students, can lend to include both designated institutions under the Bill and other institutions in receipt of core public funding with relevant consents. The amendment is outside the aegis of my Department and, therefore, I am not in a position to make an amendment to my legislation on this occasion. Moreover, while affordability is very important, we would also need to attempt to define it within the definition.

On the topic raised by the amendment, I clearly agree with Senators Gavan and Dolan on the importance of building student accommodation that is affordable. I have been clear, and I reiterate, that I do not believe the current student accommodation strategy is where it needs to be. I can stand here in this House and quote figures showing the increases in student accommodation this year and last year, which would be correct, but that would gloss over the fact the model is not working for students. In this capital city and other cities throughout the country, universities and institutions have planning permission today to build student accommodation. I got an agreement in July at a meeting of the Cabinet committee on housing that we would bring forward proposals as to how we, for the first time ever as a State, would invest public money in student accommodation, and the quid pro quofor that will be that it will have to be affordable. Before we give over a cent of public money to a university to unleash that building potential, it will have to be affordable.

I agree with Senator Gavan on the purpose of the issue, but I am not in a position to accept the amendment for those reasons.