Dublin housing 'horror' for Tipperary students

Tipperary students call for Government action on cost of renting in Ireland

placeholder image — Tipperary students call for Government action on cost of renting in Ireland

Tipperary students want action on the colossal cost of renting in Ireland, particularly in Dublin.

Cahir’s Kenneth Conlon says the next Government needs to increase the housing supply for students and young single people.

"Increasing the income threshold for the SUSI grant would help students with the cost of accommodation,” says the University of Limerick Irish and Spanish student.

University of Limerick student Kenneth Conlon

Knockgraffon’s Cormac English says that many students from rural Ireland, who move away for college or work, are living in “very constrained circumstances”. The University College Dublin Computer Science student explains: “It’s not easy for a rural household to suddenly support one, two or three additional living expenses as young people start leaving for college, and this is often reflected in very low free income for those young people.

“The housing crisis in Dublin especially makes it a prohibitively expensive place to live, and anyone who has interacted with that particular market will have their own horror stories. Poor quality, high prices and general disdain for certain groups of people, such as students, are the norm when renting across the city. This is magnified for those coming ‘up from the country’, who are often reliant on having some contacts in the city beforehand. Moving up on your own with limited means is a very straining experience.

“Transport is a huge issue, with both Dublin and rural areas woefully underserved in different respects. Within the city, one of the cheapest methods of getting around is to use a Leap Card and rely on fare capping. Doing this, and limiting yourself solely to Dublin Bus, can still cost €80 per month, which is a significant chunk of a student's disposable income. The issue of transport in South Tipperary is part of a wider rural infrastructure issue, and I am still very conscious of my dependence on my parents for transportation when I am home,” he says.

University College Dublin student Cormac English

Kilsheelan’s Niall Murphy also slams the cost of renting in Dublin. “The outgoing administration has three major failings, which really affect the youth of Ireland today. These include having access to affordable housing, healthcare logjams and meaningful action on climate change,” says Niall, who is training to be an accountant in Dublin.

Trainee accountant Niall Murphy is based in Dublin

Read the full story in this week's South Tipp Today.