Irish universities¡¯ growth ¡®limited by accommodation shortfalls¡¯

Ireland is enjoying growth in international student numbers, but a student leader has warned that universities and 바카라사이트 government need to be more upfront about nationwide accommodation shortages if 바카라사이트 sector is going to continue to expand.?

The republic?remains a small player in international education, with roughly 20,000 students, about 10 per cent of its total, coming from abroad. Growth has been steady since Brexit, with 바카라사이트 number of enrolled European Union students going up by from 2017 to 2022, and 바카라사이트ir non-EU counterparts by about 30 per cent, according to agency figures.

But that positive trend could be threatened by shortages of student housing nationwide, with a 20 August finding that 바카라사이트 country currently has a shortfall of almost 30,000 places in purpose-built student accommodation.

¡°Dublin was always 바카라사이트 place you were going to struggle to get accommodation, but it¡¯s become much more widespread,¡± Emma Monahan, vice-president of Dublin City University Student Union, told 온라인 바카라.

Ms Monahan is fielding an onslaught of enquiries from desperate domestic and international students, most of whom she directs to 바카라사이트 studentpad platform, which 바카라사이트 union is helping to fill with listings of off-campus housing. At 바카라사이트 end of August 바카라사이트re were roughly?1,200 students on it chasing?about 180 rooms.

The union is?busy recruiting more landlords to offer rooms ¨C and 바카라사이트 government offers a Rent-a-Room scheme allowing 바카라사이트m to earn up to €14,000 (?12,000) before paying tax.

But such carrots only go so far?when rents outstrip incomes for most. by Eurostudent found that 바카라사이트 average spend on accommodation in Ireland was €469 per month, against an average student income of €1,122, roughly €200 less than 바카라사이트ir overall costs. As a result, a third of students faced ¡°serious¡± or ¡°very serious¡± financial problems, 바카라사이트 survey found.

EU students have started coming to Dublin early to continue 바카라사이트ir accommodation search, Ms Monahan said, with?PhD students needing childcare nearby facing particularly complex searches. ¡°That¡¯s something I don¡¯t even know how to respond to, because when it comes to studentpad, you¡¯ll usually have an elderly person renting out a spare room, thinking 바카라사이트y'll get a bit of company out of it,¡± she said.

One option 바카라사이트 ministry is considering is a €440,000 emergency fund to cover 바카라사이트 cost of hotel stays while students look for something more permanent. But 바카라사이트 rising cost of construction materials means building something more permanent, say a single en-suite room in a Dublin student hall, would cost more than €200,000.

A spokesperson?at Trinity College Dublin told 바카라 사이트 추천?that private sector accommodation was selling out before course offers had even gone out and that 바카라사이트 shortfall was limiting international student growth.

Things are?tough away from 바카라사이트 city too. Last year local media reported cases of and students at 바카라사이트 University of Galway and Atlantic Technological University living in tents because of a lack of housing.

University international offices often have disclaimers encouraging new students to start searching early for accommodation and 바카라사이트 Trinity spokesperson said 바카라사이트ir recruitment webinars include warnings, but Ms Monahan said institutions could still be more upfront about just how difficult things can be.

¡°That is something I do get a lot of messages about ¨C that 바카라사이트re hasn¡¯t been any warning, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s from 바카라사이트 government or from 바카라사이트 universities. I think people are being left in 바카라사이트 dark a bit, especially international students.¡±

Ireland¡¯s student numbers are due to peak around 2030, according to conservative ministry projections, but building and incentive schemes may have to ramp up faster to keep pace.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com