Student union bodies from five of the largest third-level institutions in Dublin have joined forces for the first time to help tackle what they say is a continuing crisis in student accommodation.
Organisers have said they are launching a 'digs drive' due to the "chronic shortage of rental accommodation" in the capital putting the "pursuit of education and the on-campus student experience of a growing number of prospective and returning students at risk".
Elected officers from students' unions at Trinity College Dublin, UCD, DCU, NCAD and IADT will distribute flyers to people as they make their way to and from work in Dublin city centre today.
They will ask those who live in the vicinity of any of the colleges or on a transport route to the campuses to consider renting a room to a student for the coming academic year.
The drive began at 7am this morning at Connolly Station and student representatives will gather again between 5pm and 7pm this evening at Pearse Street Station, Tara Street Station and the GPO.
Organisers said further drives will occur across the city tomorrow morning and on Thursday morning.
Students 'dropping out' due to accommodation issues
The President of Trinity College Dublin Students' Union has said many students are dropping out or deferring as they have nowhere to live in Dublin.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Jenny Maguire called on the Government to create purpose-built State-owned student accommodation, saying that at present it is often privately owned and unaffordable for the vast majority of students.
The reality is that many students are homeless or are sleeping on couches just to try get a degree, she said, while some have been scammed out of money for accommodation.
She described this as demoralising, but said it has become part of the student experience.
Last week, gardaí warned students to be cautious of rental scams ahead of the new academic year.
She said student activists not only have to fight against the fact that there is not a lot of political gain to be made by supporting students, but also that the higher education sector has experienced a €300 million deficit in funding while student numbers have increased.
She said students cannot engage with studies when they are struggling to find somewhere to live.
Students may also engage less with extracurricular activities and miss out on the life experience that they bring, she added.
Govt's housing policy has failed - SF
Sinn Féin's Spokesperson on Housing said the student digs drive shows the Government's policy on housing has failed.
Eoin Ó Broin said: "The students and the students' unions should be commended for obviously making every effort to get students accommodation, but they shouldn't have to do this.
"It's the responsibility of Government, universities and others to deliver affordable accommodation for students.
"This crisis has been building year after year after year where at the end of the Government student accommodation strategy, it simply failed, and the only solution is publicly funded affordable accommodation on or near campus.
"That's what the students have been calling for. That's what we've been calling for. But unfortunately, the Government hasn't been listening."
Asked about efforts by universities to build student accommodation, Deputy Ó Broin said: "The [Government’s] student accommodation strategy...had a shortfall of 20,000 places in 2018 and 20,000 places of a shortfall in 2024, so it was designed to fail.
"Government simply isn't working enough with universities and the old technical colleges to ensure they're able to access the funds and the land to build affordable student accommodation on or near campus, that is the only solution."
Asked if on-campus accommodation was still too expensive, he said that universities needed to be given help by the Government to access low-cost finance or grants to develop good quality and affordable accommodation.
Additional reporting Juliette Gash
