The lack of affordable student accommodation is an issue that is coming up time and time again on the doorsteps during the canvass and there is a solution to the problem.
This is an issue that I raised in the past and once again several parents have complained to me that they cannot find proper affordable accommodation for their children who are attending third level colleges around the country. One solution is that colleges should undertake to build student accommodation themselves and let it out at at a reasonable rate. Most third level colleges have plenty of spare land that they could build on. Jobs would be created during construction and the buildings would pay for themselves in time through rent received from students. If this was properly done and managed it would solve a lot of problems in this sector. I have called on the Minister for Education to consider this idea in the past and I will be doing it again if I am elected in this General Election.