UCC Students Union say the Budget failed to deliver for the thousands of students trying to navigate an "out of control" rental market
Affordable accommodation has already been identified as the largest barrier to third-level education and the most significant source of financial pressure for students.
Under the Budget a €1,000 cut to the student contribution fee was announced along with an increase in the renter's tax credit which will help to alleviate rising costs
However Hayley O'Connell-Vaughan of UCC Students Union told RedFM News that a long term plan is needed to resolve the city's student accommodation crisis
"We bring up this figure of time and time again about the average rent for a single bedroom within Cork city in 2017 was 399 euro per month, and today, in 2024, in the same quarter, it's 592 euro a month. That's a 48% increase over the seven years, so the rental market is completely out of control"
