Cork senator calls for more university-owned student accommodation

More university-owned student accommodation is needed in Cork, as it is “lagging behind” other cities, a Cork senator has said.

A report into student housing in Ireland published in 2023 identified that only 18% is publicly owned in Cork, compared to 56% in Limerick, 44% in Dublin, and 36% in Galway.

Currently, University College Cork’s (UCC) campus accommodation has 1,534 beds — but there are around 7,500 beds in privately owned accommodation built specifically for students in Cork, with planning permission granted last year for another 200 and permission recently sought for 1,000 more.

In contrast, University College Dublin (UCD) has 4,187 university-owned student beds, while the University of Limerick has 2,934.

Privately owned developments often come with a large price tag, with recently opened apartments charging €450 per week for a 39-week period.

Unsustainable

Former UCC student union president Katie Haplin Hill previously told The Echo: “Relying on private providers to plug demand is unsustainable, incentivising premium builds that are out of reach for the majority of students.”

Labour Party senator Laura Harmon said: “We need a specific plan to increase purpose-built affordable student accommodation in Cork. Cork is lagging behind other cities in Ireland when it comes to the level of student housing that is owned by colleges versus private providers.

“I recently met with UCC Students’ Union, and I know that the lack of affordable accommodation for students is a key priority for them.

“I will continue to raise this issue with the minister and the department of further and higher education, but there needs to be more collaboration between the housing minister, James Browne, and the further and higher education minister, James Lawless, to ensure that Cork gets made a priority for student housing,” she added.