Irish Government Commits Over €40 Million to Build 405 Student Beds at Dublin City University

The government of Ireland is set to invest up to €41 million to construct new accommodation at Dublin City University (DCU).

The news was confirmed by Minister Simon Harris, responsible for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, who said the new investment by the State will support the delivery of 405 new student accommodation beds at DCU, Erudera.com reports.

These beds will be added to 667 new beds approved last November by the government as part of its efforts to offer more purpose-built student accommodation.

Regarding the policy, Minister Harris said it is a policy departure for the State, and the investment in student accommodation means an investment in youth.

“By increasing the number of beds available, we are helping more people access accommodation and also helping to relieve some of the pressures in the housing market,” Minister said.

Thanking DCU President Daire Keogh and his team for their collaboration on the project, he recalled past successful partnerships with the University of Limerick, the University of Galway, and Maynooth University.

Minister Harris said that together with his department, they are also working on a policy to provide state-supported student accommodation, which will be introduced to the government in June.

Dublin City University welcomed the investment, with President Keogh saying it enables the school to accelerate plans to offer additional accommodation to students on the Glasnevin campus.

“This construction of purpose-built, on-campus accommodation will alleviate the pressures on students, free up housing for families and support the Housing for All policy,” President Keogh said.

The government said it is also working with University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC), and Trinity on similar projects.

Minister Harris informed last December that the government had approved his request to build up to 700 beds for students, with DCU being among the universities receiving more supply. At the same time, he said that the government would be preparing Technological universities for the construction of student housing as the latter can flourish by having more students.

Last year, a Department of Further and Higher Education spokesperson confirmed to Erudera that delayed projects on affordable student housing in Ireland would be unblocked.

Over the years, Ireland has become one of the most favored study destinations for international students, meaning the demand for student accommodation has also increased.

Data by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) representing Irish universities show over 32,000 international students from more than 100 countries study in Ireland. About 75 percent of all international students in the country are enrolled at one of the following universities:

• Dublin City University
• Maynooth University
• Trinity College Dublin
• Technological University Dublin
• University College Cork
• University College Dublin
• University of Galway
• University of Limerick