THE FRENCH EMBASSY in Ireland is warning new arrivals, including students, of a “severe housing crisis”.
It’s also warning that new arrivals will face significant difficulties in finding accommodation.
The post said: “The strong demand and the saturation of the rental market have led to a sharp increase in rents, which are currently much more expensive than in Paris, including shared accommodation.”
The Embassy in Dublin posted the message on its website yesterday and advised people planning to settle in Ireland to allow “sufficient time” of up to several weeks for the search for accommodation.
New arrivals have also been reminded of the need for “great vigilance in the face of the risk of scams” and have been told to never “sign a contract or pay a deposit without having previously visited the accommodation”.
The French Embassy therefore said it is “essential to have solid financial guarantees and, if possible, certificates of payment of rent from your previous owners”.
Union of Students in Ireland president Beth O’Reilly called on the Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris “to protect students”.
In an online post, she claimed “international students have been misled on the availability in accommodation in Ireland” and said “international students deserve the full story before they choose to study in Ireland”.
The French Embassy are warning students about the accommodation crisis in Ireland.
— Beth O'Reilly 🏳️⚧️ (@BethOReilly) September 15, 2022
International students have been misled on the availability in accommodation in Ireland - an issue we warned @SimonHarrisTD about and yet still no action to protect students. pic.twitter.com/EOpR49q2ez
She added: “They should be aware of all of the costs associated with studying here, as well as the abysmal accommodation situation.”
“I’ll be reaching out to more embassies in the coming weeks to encourage them to display similar warnings,” continued O’Reilly.
“Hopefully more will follow suit in helping to educate students on the accommodation crisis.”
Meanwhile, the Irish Council for International Students has expressed concern over Ireland’s reputation abroad as an education destination as a result of the French Embassy warning.
The ICOS says it has seen an 86% increase this year in the number of queries handled through its information and support service relating to accommodation.
Laura Harmon, Executive Director of the ICOS warned that the “student accommodation crisis will have serious ramifications for Ireland’s higher education sector as well as our economy if urgent action is not taken”.
She added: “International students are more at risk when it comes to accommodation scams as they often have little knowledge of the rental market landscape in Ireland.”
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