That includes roughly 10 thousand via the rent a room scheme - they're also known as 'digs.'
Cabinet has approved plans for 42 thousand new student beds in the next nine years.
The National Student Accommodation Strategy includes measures allowing private operators to enter into 'nomination agreements' with universities .
This would enable students to be nominated for housing on a fixed term basis.
250 million euro will be invested in the initiative by 2030.
The Government says 'viability' and 'affordability' are the key prongs for its new national student accommodation strategy.
Higher Education Minister James 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 says he 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.
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.
“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.
