Student accommodation crisis will put Third level education out of reach, claims Senator

The recently published Government report on student accommodation amounts is a "whitewash" according to a local Fianna Fáil senator. 

Senator Robbie Gallagher said that while the report claims that progress is being made in student accommodation, an increasing number of students are unable to meet basic accommodation costs.

The party's spokesperson on Education in Seanad Eireann said: “In fact much of the new student accommodation is being built privately and rented out at exorbitant rates. The average going rate for student accommodation is now €1,400. These rents are not affordable for a person working, let alone a student who has a much reduced income,” said Senator Gallagher. 

“The Government has failed to deliver affordable student accommodation and students have been hit with massive rent increases for next year in many parts of the country. Students parts of Dublin have been hit with a 50% increase in rent, which follows a 30% increase last year. But its not just Dublin, students in Galway have also been hit with a massive increase in rents which has resulted in many families questioning whether they can afford to return their child to college in September”.

Senator Gallagher said that the Government has rejected proposals put forward by Fianna Fáil to prevent unreasonable rental increases for students.

"Fianna Fail put forward a Bill to extend Rent Pressure Zones to student accommodation and the Government should accept this proposal instead of clapping itself on the back for presiding over a situation where students are being forced out of accommodation due to exorbitant rent increases,” he concluded.