Government opens expressions of interest for 3,300 student beds across four university sites
Saturday 7 November 2026
The State has launched Phase 1A of its student accommodation programme, inviting expressions of interest for up to 3,300 beds across Dublin, Cork, and Galway.
The Government has launched an expression of interest process for purpose-built student accommodation across four higher education sites in Dublin, Cork, and Galway.
Speaking in the Dáil, Minister James Lawless confirmed that Phase 1A of the Higher Education Student Accommodation Programme (HSAP) has gone live. The initiative is being progressed alongside the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA).
Initial institutional locations identified under the scheme include:
- Grangegorman in north Dublin
- IADT in Dún Laoghaire
- ATU Galway, at the adjacent Galwegians pitch site
- MTU Cork
Minister Lawless stated that these four locations are expected to deliver up to 3,300 student beds. A wider appeal has also been issued to public and private landowners holding property near higher education institutions to bring forward suitable land for development.
Under the proposed delivery framework, on-campus developments are anticipated to utilise nomination agreements, whereby an institution engages a developer to construct and lease accommodation at scale. State assistance for site servicing will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
A subsequent Phase 1B will target traditional universities in Dublin, Cork, and Galway, including Trinity College, UCD, DCU, UCC, and University of Galway.
Responding to queries from Deputy John Connolly regarding sector viability, Minister Lawless noted that approximately 16,000 student beds nationwide currently hold planning permission but have not commenced construction, underscoring the ongoing delivery challenges the State's strategy seeks to address.