Student accommodation crisis is impacting Ireland’s reputation abroad – Irish Council for International Students

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The French Embassy has issued a warning to its citizens about Ireland’s grave student accommodation crisis

The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) has today (16.09.22) expressed concern over Ireland’s reputation abroad as an education destination. The French Embassy has issued a warning to students coming to study in Ireland about the grave accommodation crisis.  This year, ICOS has seen an 86% increase in the number of queries handled through its information and support service relating to accommodation. ICOS has been contacted by many students looking for help finding accommodation, to report that they are homeless, to report a scam, or to make a complaint about the substandard, and often overcrowded, conditions of their accommodation.

Laura Harmon, Executive Director of the Irish Council for International Students said:

"The student accommodation crisis is impacting on Ireland’s reputation abroad as a study destination as we can see clearly from the French Embassy’s recent warnings to its own citizens. The student accommodation crisis will have serious ramifications for Ireland’s higher education sector as well as our economy if urgent action is not taken. International students contribute more than €2.2bn annually to Ireland, and play an important role in enriching Irish education and society. It’s deeply unfair to international students who make a huge investment in their education to study in Ireland, as well as the many higher education institutions and language schools who provide world class education and work hard to create a wonderful student experience; all of this is being damaged by the accommodation disaster.’’

 

‘‘International students are more at risk when it comes to accommodation scams as they often have little knowledge of the rental market landscape in Ireland. The student accommodation crisis is worse than ever now due to a lack of supply, exorbitant rents and ineffective regulations on overcrowding among other issues. ICOS is also eagerly awaiting the publication of a new International Education Strategy for Ireland which is nearly two years overdue.’’

 

ENDS

Notes to editor:

  • ICOS is available to contact for any international student who needs assistance in making a complaint about accommodation: info@icosirl.ie

 

News type
ICOS News