A major new report has revealed a “housing emergency” for students in Ireland. According to research from the property group Sherry FitzGerald, there is currently a shortage of nearly 39,000 student beds across the country’s main university cities. This gap could even rise to 53,000 if the travel distance to colleges is shortened, making it nearly impossible for many to find a place to live.
Where is the pressure highest?
The crisis is most visible in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway. In Dublin, for every one available bed, there are nearly three students looking for a place to stay. Outside the capital, the situation is just as worrying. In the South-West region, which includes Cork, there is a shortage of roughly 9,900 beds. This means for every 13 students, only 10 beds are available.
Why is there such a shortage?
The report explains that building new student housing has become very difficult. Over the last few years, the costs of construction materials and labour have gone up. At the same time, high interest rates have made it expensive for developers to borrow money. Because of these high costs, many planned projects have been put on hold. In fact, while there are plans for over 13,000 new beds, about 35% of those projects are currently paused because they are too expensive to finish.
The Impact on Students and Families
For students, this shortage means two things: higher prices and longer commutes. Some private student apartments now cost more than €11,500 for a single academic year. Many students from ordinary backgrounds simply cannot afford this. As a result, many are forced to live in overcrowded conditions or commute for hours every day from their family homes, which negatively impacts their studies.
Politicians from the opposition parties, such as Sinn Féin and the Labour Party, have called the situation “scandalous.” They argue that the government has allowed private developers to prioritize profits over the needs of students. They are calling for more “public” housing built directly by universities, rather than relying on private companies that charge high rents.
What is the Government doing?
The Irish government says it is working on a new “National Student Accommodation Strategy.” They have also introduced a lower tax rate (VAT) for building student housing to encourage developers to start working again. However, the numbers show that progress is slow. Last year, fewer than 700 new beds were finished across the entire country, which is a big drop compared to previous years.
Looking Ahead
Experts warn that the problem will not go away soon. With the number of people going to college expected to grow until 2030, Ireland needs a massive investment in housing. If the government and colleges do not act quickly, more students may be forced to drop out or turn down college places because they simply have nowhere to sleep.
