The Government has approved €67 million in state funding to allow University College Dublin (UCD) to proceed with the construction of 493 new student accommodation beds.

The funding enables UCD to enter into contract for the delivery of the project. This development is part of the Short-Term Activation Programme for student housing, first announced in 2022 with a total budget of €100 million. Under the programme's requirements, 30 percent of the completed units will be allocated at a reduced rate to students eligible for SUSI support or from priority groups identified under the National Access Plan.

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Discussing the allocation, Minister for Further and Higher, Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, said: "This significant investment reflects the Government's ongoing commitment to making higher education more accessible. By supporting the development of new student accommodation at UCD, we are helping to meet the growing demand for student housing, while also investing in a long-term solution that ensures students from all backgrounds have access to affordable, high-quality places to live today, tomorrow, and well into the future."

UCD President Professor Orla Feely added: "This Government funding towards the next development phase of on-campus accommodation at Belfield is a significant milestone in the provision of much-needed places to match rising demand year after year, and importantly, it will support UCD in providing on-campus accommodation to those students in most need."

The UCD project represents the second major build under the scheme. The first was the delivery of 116 student beds at Buckley House, Maynooth University, which is now complete and ready for use in the 2025/2026 academic year.