Mayo TD offers solutions to student housing nightmares

WITH September here, thousands of students across Ireland find themselves not preparing for lectures but scrambling for shelter.

In recent weeks, Deputy Paul Lawless has seen his office inundated with calls and visits from distressed students and parents - many of whom are facing the grim reality that, despite securing a coveted college place, they may have nowhere to live.

The closure of accommodation lotteries in college-owned accommodation has left countless students in limbo, he said. Those who didn’t win the housing lottery are now left to navigate a market that is, he said, quite frankly, broken.

Said Deputy Lawless: “Today, Daft.ie lists just 33 available properties in Galway City and a paltry 72 across the entire county. Sligo fares worse, with only six in town and 10 county-wide. Limerick city offers a mere 28 in the city and 48 county-wide.

“These figures are not just alarming - they are unacceptable, especially for students who were only offered a college place last week in the first round offers.”

The housing crisis has collided head-on with the academic calendar, with a frantic, last-minute scramble for accommodation that has left students couch-surfing, commuting absurd distances, or considering deferral.

The crisis, he said, is compounded by rising rents, stagnant grant levels, and an international student intake that, while welcome, must be balanced against local capacity.

“We cannot continue to expand college places without expanding roofs to house those who earn them,” he said.

Deputy Lawless called on the minister to act immediately, advocating for a three-tiered approach to press for short-, medium-, and long-term solutions.

He set out: “In the short term, I am calling for the government to introduce immediate and meaningful incentives to open more doors to student accommodation - whether through tax reliefs, fast-tracked planning permissions, or support for landlords willing to rent to students. We must act now to unlock every possible bed.

“In addition, I am also calling for a temporary halt to student fees entirely for this academic year, including the recent €1,000 increase that the government introduced despite their pre-election promise of doing the opposite, and an immediate uplift in SUSI grant levels and eligibility thresholds.

“SUSI grants must be updated to reflect inflation and modern income realities. With disposable income levels reducing due to increased costs to goods and services family income thresholds need to be adjusted upwards to allow greater eligibility for their kids SUSI grants with an increased grant sum to reflect increased prices.

“These measures are essential to ease the financial pressure on families while we work to resolve the housing crisis.”

He continued: “Medium-term, we must repurpose vacant buildings and expand temporary housing schemes, including a plan to erect modular homes to quickly increase accommodation capacity.

“Long-term, we need serious investment in purpose-built student accommodation.

“We cannot ask students to thrive academically while they struggle to survive financially.

“I am requesting an urgent meeting with the minister to address these issues, and I will be using the nearest speaking opportunity in the Dáil to raise this matter.

“To the students and parents who have reached out: I hear you. I stand with you. And I will not rest until we restore dignity, affordability, and fairness to our education system.”