James Lawless: 'Ultimately, pension funds build houses … the money that comes to build them is capital flooding the international markets looking for a home.' Photograph: Bryan O'BrienStudents having a bathroom each would be “wasteful”, and the Government is moving towards a co-living model involving communal space for university accommodation, Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless has said. Asked if this would be similar to a “co-living” model, Mr Lawless agreed. Mr Lawless said he was concerned that students “would be facing a rent reset every single year”. Mr Lawless said rent changes were one way to offer “simplicity and certainty” to the market.

Source: The Irish Times January 08, 2026 03:22 UTC