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THERE HAS BEEN a ‘notable increase’ in the proportion of students who are paying €750 or more per month for accommodation during their time in college, according to a survey by students in University College Dublin.
In total, more than three-quarters of students in who do not live at home or own their own home are paying over €750 per month in rent, according to the report by the UCD’s Students’ Union.
In both 2021 and 2022, around two-thirds of students were paying those rates. The Union has said that these increases are preventing students from having a holistic college experience.
Miranda Bauer, president of the Students’ Union, has highlighted the issue after presenting it as the main finding from the Accommodation Report. She has called on Government and education institutions to carry out their “duty of care” to students.
The Students’ Union have claimed that the stark differences in cost is evidence that “no meaningful improvement” has been made by Government to the student accommodation landscape.
Lack of student accommodation has been a long-standing factor during the housing crisis, particularly at the start of each academic year. Student representative bodies have been sounding the alarm over the lack of accommodation for almost four years.
Government has taken some measures to improve the situation, such as banning 51-week leases and extending the remit of the Residential Tenancies Board in certain arrangements. It has also allocated funding for over 2,700 more beds.
However, the report highlights that there is still a lack of regulation around digs-style accommodation, particularly when ensuring that the rights of tenants are protected.
Digs-style accomodation was the third-most common type of housing, after excluding those who still live at home, according to respondents.
The majority respondents said they found the process of finding accommodation in Dublin “difficult” and very few found it straightforward. The students also cited difficulties to keep up with the associated costs with renting.
The Students’ Union has said that these findings point to the need for a reassessment of the existing housing supports available to students. Later, their report details that some of their findings have impacted their wellbeing and education of students as well.
Mairéad Farrell, Sinn Féin TD and spokesperson for higher education, has backed the students’ call and asked that Government expedite her proposal to ensure the rights of tenants in digs-style housing are protected.
Other findings in the report include that the majority of UCD students have encountered fraudulent adverts for housing during their search for accommodation. A minority of respondents said they had fallen victim of a scam.
Earlier today, gardaí issued a warning to students over rental scams after the force found that one third of all accommodation fraud reports take place during August and September each year.
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Why were those houses ever built on what is clearly a flood plain?
@eoin fitzpatrick: You took the words from my mouth. The location of these houses is complete madness.
@eoin fitzpatrick: Brown bag. It is as simple as that. Greed and corruption are good in this country.
@eoin fitzpatrick: my first thought exactly, it’s only when you see an aerial shot like that you can clearly see nothing should ever have been built there
@eoin fitzpatrick: class action law suit incoming from those residents against planning authority.
@Shimo F: Against themselves maybe. They could clearly find out. Anyone buying a house that close to a river and at the same level of a river isn’t the brightest.
@eoin fitzpatrick: I think fg have promised to put a roof over the entire country if re-elected
This is terrible news for all involved but is anybody asking “Stanley: New Homes”, who recently built The Meadows estate in question, why they built homes surrounded by The River Feale on 3 sides and didn’t disclose to residents that this land has always been a natural flood plain for the river? How often has it flooded like this in the past? Who approved the planning permission in the local authority? Was there a natura impact statement carried out as part of the planning process?
Housing crisis compounded by stupidity – yet again!
@Kieran Farrell: jesus, that’s shocking….when you say ‘recently built’…. like in the last decade??
@Kieran Farrell: Planning granted by the Local Authority for that was a flood plain, simple solution is to sue the Local Authority. This Local Authority don’t give local people planning permission on their own land with top notch sewage systems, yet they give a Developer planning for multiple Houses on a flood plain, same old ding dong in Ireland, it’s who you know & who you give your brown envelope to. The next Govt of FF & SF will bring this to another level again. Ireland is a failed State.
@Kieran Farrell: CORRECTION – The Meadows was built in 2006, and ‘Stanley: New Homes’ were not involved.
@Kieran Farrell: Fair enough! Thanks fir clarification
@SV3tN8M4: Virtually impossible to sue the local authority.
@Kieran Farrell: the flooding was described today as a once in 100 year event. The height of the river was measured at 4m on Saturday afternoon – the next highest ever recorded was 3.5m in 1973. I’m not sure that bad planning decisions is the cause this weekends flooding
@Kieran Farrell: If you are dumb enough to buy a house on a flood plain, it’s on you.
Terrible, obviously condolences to everyone effected. Does the aerial view tell a story? Like why are so many housing estates within 100 yards of an oxbowing river? Seems mad, but I know little of geography or surveying land for development.
@Thesaltyurchin: ask the Healy Rae’s
@Temp Stuff: Healy rea’s aren’t from Listowel
I feel so sorry for those people.
Nothing worse than flooding and just before Xmas.
@Stanley Marsh: Christmas
The FG fella was straight out with the standard party line ‘ lessons will be learned’
But we have to help the rest of the world,that’s the most concerning thing for the politicians of Ireland. Never mind our own, especially the people of Listowel, Killybegs and the rest of the country affected by the detrimental weather. Shur here’s an idea, let’s just worry and support every swinging dog across the work’s who needs our generosity. Let’s give them money, refuge, support while our own have homes & businesses destroyed. Shur never mind, it’s only our country at the end of the day.
@Brian Barry: *Works =World.. Just in case ye lefty punctuation police come knocking!!
@Brian Barry: Eamon is on his way back from the annual jolly, COP where he signed us up as a donor for a 300Billion ( per annum) dollar windfall ….. You couldn’t make it up in a Hollywood comedy
Cost us 200million to build flood defences in 2 years time. Lot of money for incompetence in Kerry coco
Boom time building with ‘no holds barred’ planning permissions given to those who knew who to give the brown envelope to
A photo of houses built on a flood plain. Interesting planning.
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