Third-level students across Ireland are shocked that they may not be forgotten this time. However, the release of the 2025 Draft Programme for Government, which sets out what the government is committed to delivering over the next five years, makes one thing certain: The government plans to secure Ireland’s future by investing more in education and growing the economy.
UCD students should find that this government programme’s areas of most significant impact will be ‘Further and Higher Education’, ‘Housing’, and ‘A Caring Society’.
Further and Higher Education
One of the main promises that future third-level students can look forward to is the gradual decrease and eventual abolishment of student contribution fees. Furthermore, the government outlines its intent to increase the number of placements in further education and training nationally. The programme promises to increase maintenance grants and reform SUSI while also considering the potential introduction of placement grants for students who have to go on mandatory placements. Furthermore, within the realm of expansion, the programme outlines the plan to double the number of places in high-demand healthcare professions – such as physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, etc.
Additionally, the incoming government has promised to increase funding for research in higher education fields and continue to fund Taighde Éireann to “maintain Ireland’s global competitiveness”.
Finally, the government outlines the introduction of a “Second Chance” within Further and Higher Education. Under the Free Fees Initiative, students will be able to either retake a year or switch courses (only once), preventing them from incurring penalties and increased fees. However, the exact start date for this initiative remains unconfirmed.
Student Accommodation
Student accommodation is a hot-button topic that is so ingrained in everyday conversation that students – irrespective of whether they need accommodation or not – are unimpressed with how the past Government (nearly a mirror image of the new government) handled the ever-growing crisis. Students were left incredibly unimpressed after being deserted in the 2025 Budget (as has been the pattern for several past budgets), with only €1,000 in a student contribution fee returned. However, it is clear that their concerns are being heard loud and clear, with the Programme for Government outlining several plans to curb the accommodation crisis.
The Programme for Government promises to develop a multi-annual plan to – in their terms – “urgently” provide new housing options for students. This includes funding state-supported, purpose-built student residences on public or private property. The programme promised to “unlock the National Training Fund” and create a borrowing framework for Technological Universities to make “a clear pathway” to access funding for initiatives like providing and purpose-building on-campus student accommodation.
The Rent-a-Room scheme is widely publicised by the government and university students’ unions (SU). SU representatives often take to the streets of major cities to encourage locals who own their property to rent any available rooms. However, despite the encouragement, the scheme hasn’t proven as successful as hoped. Therefore, the programme outlines the need to take measures to boost the take-up of the Rent-a-Room Relief Scheme, which will also be examined.
Finally, for those fretting about end-of-trimester exams and assignments coinciding with moving out of student accommodation or spending more on months that aren’t even needed, the government will ensure student accommodation leases align with the academic year. This will make it easier for students to secure housing for the months they need and avoid spending more money than necessary on student accommodation.
Housing
Along with student accommodation, housing has been another issue that graduating students face, with the ever-growing cost of renting/buying due to the ever-decreasing number of available suitable properties. The programme for government offers a new and improved national housing strategy to reform the previous Housing for All plan.
The programme commits the government to effectively capitalise on the Land Development Agency (LDA) through 2040, setting a target to deliver 300,000 homes by the end of 2030. It also seeks to enhance the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers and streamline the transfer of suitable State lands for housing into the LDA, fostering a positive impact on housing availability.
For renters, the programme commits to gradually raising the rent tax credit and assisting renters who want to purchase a home with “a series of targeted measures through the tax system and the First Home scheme.”
Disability
1 in 5 people, or more than 20% of the population, in Ireland have reported having a disability. With over 1 million people in Ireland having a disability, it is no surprise that the programme for government outlines several plans and promises to help the community. One of the long-awaited major promises is the publishing and funding a new National Disability Strategy, “setting out a vision to 2030”. A “national implementation and monitoring committee” with improved political supervision will be established to guarantee the implementation of the strategy.
The programme outlines commitments to boost investments in adult day services, enhance personal assistance hours, and raise disability home support hours. Additionally, the government’s plan includes expanding the network of autism one-stop shops and enacting legislation to establish a statutory autism strategy. Moreover, home care hours and the housing adaptation grant will increase.
Healthcare
Healthcare has been an issue in Ireland for centuries, with a reform to the system signed off in 2004 (known as the Health Executive Service (HSE)) by Micheál Martin – the Minister for Health and Children at the time – and implemented in 2005. It is clear that there are still some significant issues with the healthcare system in Ireland. Still, the 2025 programme for government has outlined numerous promises to improve Ireland’s healthcare system.
Minimising waiting periods to ensure all patients receive care within the Sláintecare benchmark of 10 to 12 weeks; adding 4,000 to 4,500 new and renovated inpatient hospital beds nationwide; expanding ICU capacity by at least 100 additional beds; and establishing four new elective hospitals, alongside the long-awaited opening of the new National Children’s Hospital – originally scheduled to open in 2020.
While it is clear that students aren’t wholly an afterthought for this incoming government (as outlined in their 2025 Programme), only time will tell if these promises come to fruition.
Hannah Costello – Co-Editor
