Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, has announced the publication of the second National Student Accommodation Strategy, setting out a focused plan to support the delivery of 42,000 student beds by 2035.
The Strategy outlines practical measures to address affordability, supply and viability, while ensuring future demand is met without additional pressure on the private rental market.
Minister Lawless explained,
“This Strategy is about delivery. I have prioritised removing the barriers that have slowed progress and putting in place a clear pathway to activate new student accommodation at scale. It combines direct State action with private sector delivery in a way that is both practical and proven.”
A key element of this Strategy is the unlocking of State owned land across higher education campuses. The Strategy allows higher education institutions to make campus sites available for new student accommodation through fixed term licence agreements with private developers, with the sites and buildings returning to the institution at the end of the term.
“I am moving immediately to fast track this approach,”
the Minister said.
“We want to support Higher Education Institutions to activate sites now and turn them into beds for students.”
To accelerate delivery, the Minister has already secured a strong early pipeline of nationwide proposals with more anticipated. These will be advanced on a phased basis in 2026, beginning in major cities before expanding nationwide.
A major policy innovation being introduced by Minister Lawless is the introduction of a framework for the use of nomination agreements. This approach is new in Ireland but proven internationally. These agreements give universities a guaranteed number of beds for their students and give developers the occupancy certainty they need to finance and deliver new accommodation. By setting clear commitments for both sides, nomination agreements help universities plan for student demand and allow developers to advance projects with confidence.
“This is a win–win model, and I am leading on embedding it in the Irish system to unlock supply quickly and responsibly,”
the Minister said.
The Strategy also extends the Technological Sector Student Accommodation Programme to include Universities, ensuring the wider sector can benefit from the measures outlined by the Minister.
To further strengthen viability, the Strategy will support the use of design guidelines, introduced by Minister Lawless, that allow for more efficient layouts, ensuring accommodation remains high quality while delivering additional beds for students. In addition, Minister Lawless has worked with his Government Colleagues to secure a dedicated three year protection window under the revised Rent Pressure Zone rules for student accommodation, providing students with the certainty and protections they deserve. The Minister has also supported the Government’s new rent resetting rules and reduced 9% VAT rate on PBSA (Purpose Built Student Accommodation) sales which balance student protection with project financing.
Affordability remains a central element of the Minister’s approach. Students benefit from a broad package of supports, including the SUSI non-adjacent grant for those living 30 km or more from their institution, the PATH 2 (1916) Bursary, Student Accommodation Assistance, and the Student Assistance Fund. Together, these schemes provide a record €176 million in annual support, and Minister Lawless has committed to strengthening them through the annual Estimates process.
“Affordability is a real concern for students and families, and this Strategy sets out a pathway to continue improving supports as supply increases,”
he said.
The Strategy builds on recent progress overseen by the Minister, including the Short Term Activation Programme, which will deliver almost 1,000 new beds, 30% at discounted rents, supported by €110 million from the National Development Plan.
Concluding, Minister Lawless said,
“This Strategy is focused on activation, acceleration, affordability and delivery. My priority is to move from plans on paper to beds for students - and this Strategy gives us the tools to do exactly that.”
