ATU President says accommodation crisis is a major challenge for Galway's third level students

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) President Dr Orla Flynn told Galway City Councillors that this left the institution with two choices.

"The problem with student accommodation is that developers don't see it as financially viable without support," she said.

“There are two options for us; allow private developers to develop our lands or support a private developer to develop on their own lands.”

Speaking at last month's meeting of Galway City Council, held at the ATU Dublin Road campus, Dr Flynn acknowledged that the accommodation crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing Galway’s third level sector.

She said increasing the supply of student housing would ease pressure on Galway's wider rental market.

“The Government wants to move on and see developments happening that will take pressure off the private rental market,” she continued.

Responding to a question from Cllr Declan McDonnell (Ind) about the former Corrib Great Southern Hotel site, Dr Flynn confirmed she had engaged directly with the Comer Group around three years ago regarding proposals that included student accommodation.

"My understanding was they were planning around 300 student beds as part of an overall development of approximately 900 beds," she said.

“I wrote a letter of support to the Comers at the time.”

She described how the Students' Union has also been working to expand alternative accommodation options through digs and Rent-a-Room initiatives.

Fine Gael Cllr Frank Fahy asked for an update on plans for the lands owned by ATU at Murrough - which he said will be the "new Salthill on the east side" - after they were rezoned by Galway City Council through a variation to the city development plan.

In response, Dr Flynn said that while ATU has owned the land "for quite some time", its difficulty has been "zoning and access".

She said the possibility of a rail line serving the east side of the city would be a "gamechanger" as it would allow students to commute from Tuam and Athenry.

“We are working through a new masterplan for all of ATU,” she said.

“Our original plans were for playing pitches but that would have been a waste in some ways, duplicating those resources when we put funding into Mervue and Liam Mellows.”

She assured councillors that there will be significant consultation in due course.

At the meeting, Dr Flynn highlighted ATU's continued expansion since she became President in 2020.

"Our campuses are spread across the northern and western region and that gives us a close relationship with the entire region," she said.

She described maintaining strong partnerships with industry as "a hallmark of the RTC tradition".

Construction is continuing on a new 5,000-square-metre STEM building in Galway, due for completion in August 2027, while the Future Living Lab on Ballybane Road is expected to be completed in late 2028.

Dr Flynn also highlighted ATU's strong cross-border engagement with Northern Ireland, its recent Athena SWAN Bronze Award for diversity and equality, and plans to appoint more professors.

She noted that ATU's largest cohort of students comes from Donegal and the university is also set to establish its new veterinary programme there.

Councillors praised Dr Flynn's leadership, crediting her with strengthening partnerships across Galway and driving ATU's development since it achieved university status.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme