“Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention been drawn to the steep increase in on-campus student accommodation costs in UCD; if he has had any engagement with UCD or the university’s student union on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 17 June]
“The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD; the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD; and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD have today (Thursday) announced that €75 million of financing has been successfully sourced from the Council of Europe Bank (COEB) for purpose-built Student Accommodation. This is an important plank in the supply expansion being targeted by Government as part of the Rebuilding Ireland initiative and of the National Student Accommodation Strategy …” (more)
[MerrionStreet.ie, 17 June]
“The property company which operates student accommodation on behalf of NUI Galway recorded a €3.4 million increase in turnover in 2019. However, Atalia Student Residences DAC (Designated Activity Company), which is owned by the university, recorded a loss for the year of €6,300 …” (more)
[Enda Cunningham, Connacht Tribune, 14 June]
“Students hoping to live on campus at UCD for the next academic year will have to pay up to €14,000 for their accommodation, it has been announced. The college has released details of its on-site accommodation for the 2021/22 academic year, with options ranging from €8,059 to €14,465 for returning students looking to rent for the standard two semesters. Broken down, the students would pay €203 per week at the campus’s two cheapest halls …” (more)
[Ellen O’Riordan, Irish Times, 11 June]
“University College Dublin (UCD) recently published the pricing for all on-campus student accommodation for the next academic year. Fees for September 2021 to May 2022 range from €8,059.33 to €14,465, depending on the residence. During the 2020/21 academic year, the cheapest on-campus residences, Belgrove and Merville, were priced at €6,696.95 from September 17 to May 17 for continuing undergraduate students. Also last year, the most expensive residence, Roebuck Castle, cost continuing undergraduate students €10,612.27, which included catering …” (more)
[Bella Salerno, Trinity News, 11 June]
“An Bord Pleanála has given the green light to €160 million plans for a 698-bed student accommodation development across eight blocks in Goatstown in south Dublin. The appeals board has granted planning permission in spite of the Minister for Tourism, Catherine Martin, and the Minister for State for Special Education and Inclusion, Josepha Madigan, each making submissions in support of locals’ concerns concerning the ‘fast-track’ Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme that reaches to seven storeys high …” (more)
[Gordon Deegan, BreakingNews.ie, 8 June]
“Large lecture theatres, sports facilities, bars and canteens are set to reopen in colleges and universities from September under a new framework being finalised by Government. In addition, students will be given the option to pay monthly for accommodation in case there is a fourth wave of Covid-19. This is aimed at ensuring students and their families do not lose out on deposits or rent, as happened in some cases last year …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 8 June]
“A real estate agency in Cork has reported that parents are buying investment properties in the city in order to secure accommodation for their teenagers who are due to attend college locally later this year. Mark Rose, managing director of Rose Properties, says that certain sectors in Ireland have an abundance of cash and are using it to purchase properties for their children when they reach university age …” (more)
[Olivia Kelleher, Irish Times, 3 June]
“Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of student accommodation that is publicly owned developments; the percentage of student accommodation that is privately owned developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 25 May]
“A developer who plans to build student accommodation has complained to the Planning Regulator after a move by county councillors that could thwart the development of a site in south Dublin. Fine Gael councillor Barry Saul has defended the rezoning of part of the site near UCD, at Goatstown, Dublin 14, for open space and points out that the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) recently said that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council had too much residential zoned land …” (more)
[Donal Buckley, Independent, 26 May]
“A young musician who is returning to college later this year in Dublin has decided to live in a converted campervan due to unaffordable rent. Conni Dawson (28), who is originally from Northern Ireland but is now based in Co Clare, was working as a full-time harpist before the Covid-19 pandemic hit …” (more)
[Sarah Burns, Irish Times, 24 May]
“Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of progress towards the objectives of the student accommodation strategy in view of the disruption to the construction sector over 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 12 May]
“Planning sought for €31m development of 40 student apartments, ranging in size from single-bed studio apartments to eight-bed apartments, comprising 243 bed spaces …” (more)
[Catherine Shanahan, Irish Examiner, 6 May]
“Technological universities (TUs) are expected to get the go-ahead to build on-campus accommodation for students. It will transform the college experience as institutes of technology in towns around the country are elevated to TU status. It will also take the pressure off local private rental markets …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 28 April]
“On Wednesday April 28th, Dail Eireann was presented with The USI’s Residential Tenancies (Student Rents and Other Protections) (Covid-19) Act 2021 by Sinn Fein and signed by 56 opposition TDS. In a statement from the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), they outlined the changes that would take place under the proposed Bill …” (more)
[Luke Murphy, College Tribune, 28 April]
“Government TDs are being urged to support the student accommodation bill which will be debated in Dáil Eireann on Wednesday (April 28), by the Union of Students in Ireland and Students’ Unions all over Ireland. The USI’s Residential Tenancies (Student Rents and Other Protections) (Covid-19) Act 2021 was tabled in late February by Sinn Fein and signed by 56 opposition TDS …” (more)
[USI, 27 April]
“At Point Campus student accommodation beside the 3 Arena, owners DWS first got temporary planning permission to convert the homes to short-term lets in 2018. They got that permission again in 2019 and again in 2020. At 274 North Circular Road in Dublin 7, the owners Global Student Accommodation (GSA) got planning permission to use the student housing for short-term lets year-round in 2019 and again in 2020 …” (more)
[Laoise Neylon, Dublin Inquirer, 28 April]
“Sinn Féin TD for Carlow Kilkenny Kathleen Funchion has urged cross-party support for the USI calls to provide greater protections for student renters, particularly those attending IT Carlow. The motion will be heard in the Dáil on Wednesday …” (more)
[Suzanne Pender, Carlow Nationalist, 26 April]
“UK student accommodation operator Global Student Accommodation Group (GSA) has been chosen to manage the new Melbourn Point property in Cork close to the Munster Technological University (MTU). It is the third student accommodation development in Cork that GSA has secured operations on. It also runs the Amnis House centre on the Western Road and the Lee Point student accommodation centre on the former Beamish & Crawford brewery site on South Main Street …” (more)
[Alan Healy, Irish Examiner, 20 April]
“A landlord has welcomed a High Court order quashing a ruling by a district court judge which held him responsible for noise pollution emanating from students holding lockdown parties at two of his properties near University College Cork …” (more)
[Barry Roche, Irish Times, 15 April]
