Clarity must be provided by Government or by Trinity College on what needs to happen to ensure that a project for 358 student beds can be delivered as soon as possible, says Trinity College Students Union and the Union of Students in Ireland.
In response to a Parliamentary Question asked by Cian O’Callaghan TD on behalf of TCDSU and USI, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Patrick O’Donovan confirmed that planned student accommodation at Trinity Halls in Dartry, which has planning permission, has passed a due diligence assessment by the Higher Education Authority.
However, the Minister said the project cannot begin until funding is found to bring the project to tender.
Minister O’Donovan said: “I am continuing to work across Government to identify potential sources of funding to progress the short and long term policies and programmes for student accommodation. My officials stand ready to engage with TCD for progression of this project should additional funding become available under the National Development Plan.”
However, USI and TCDSU say the lack of urgency around the project is in stark contrast to what is being said by Government on the issue of student accommodation.
USI Vice President for Campaigns, Zaid Al-Barghouthi said: “This sort of situation is exactly why we need a new Student Accommodation Strategy. It was supposed to be published last July and we are still waiting, and with no word of when it will come. We have no way of measuring what is happening with student accommodation and what stage projects such as this are at. We had to ask a Parliamentary Question to get any information on this project, which we are now told is not progressing because they are essentially searching for money to progress it to tender. That is not good enough when we are in a student accommodation crisis.”
TCDSU President, László Molnárfi said: “What is happening with this project is another reflection of the Government’s will to actually deal with the student accommodation crisis. This is a site that previously housed students and has been sitting empty for four years, when it now has permission to house 358 students. The lack of transparency or ambition, and saying one thing while doing another, has basically been this Government’s policy on student accommodation.”