Hundreds of students at Ireland's third-level institutions are homeless

HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS at Ireland’s third-level institutions are homeless, according to data obtained from colleges and universities under the Freedom of Information Act. 

At least 346 students reported being homeless to their higher education institution during the 2024/25 academic year. The real number is likely to be significantly higher, however, as many of the largest universities in the country do not count how many of their students are homeless. 

The records also rely on voluntary disclosure from students. Hidden homelessness, such as couch-surfing or living in insecure housing, often goes unrecorded, further hiding the true figure. 

The figure, compiled from multiple third level institutions across the country, speaks to the impact of the housing crisis on third level students.

The numbers have been described as ‘scandalous and heartbreaking’ by Rory Hearne, the housing spokesperson for the Social Democrats. 

“When I was a lecturer in social policy there were students in my class homeless,” he told The Journal.  ”It is extremely challenging for students to fulfil their potential at third level while being in homelessness. We know some students this year were sleeping in tents and in cars.”

“What this shows is that third level for many hundreds, if not thousands, of students is not a time of learning and experiencing college life but a massive challenge of just surviving.”

The homeless figure includes students at the University of Galway, Maynooth University, the University of Limerick (UL), Technological University Dublin (TUD), Munster Technological University (MTU), South East Technological University (SETU), Atlantic Technological University (ATU), the National College of Art and Design, and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology.

A total of seven third-level institutions – University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, University College Cork, Mary Immaculate College, and Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) – could not provide data for the number of their students who were homeless in the 2024/25 academic year, largely citing a lack of centralised data collection. Dundalk Institute of Technology did not respond to the request for information.

The housing crisis’ impact on third-level students

The data provided by third-level institutions offers an insight into the extent of the housing crisis and how it is impacting students. 

Technological University Dublin (TUD) recorded 54 students reporting homelessness in 2024/25 in applications to its student assistance fund, bringing its total to 236 cases since the 2020/21 academic year. TUD also offers a rent assistance fund, which 90 students applied for help from between October 2025 and January of this year.  

In other technological universities, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) reported 97 students experiencing homelessness in the 2024/25 academic year across its campuses in the west and north-west of the country, while South East Technological University (SETU) recorded 37 cases, most of which were on its Waterford campus. Munster Technological University (MTU) reported 92 students experiencing homelessness in 2024/25.

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At the University of Galway, 33 students declared themselves homeless in 2025, with a further 47 stating their temporary accommodation was about to end. Maynooth University identified at least 21 students experiencing homelessness or housing instability in 2024/25 via the Maynooth Access Programme.

At the University of Limerick, records relating to the 2024/25 academic year showed that just one student applying through the student assistance fund referenced homelessness or temporary accommodation concerns. Separately, seven students accessing the separate student emergency fund referenced housing insecurity through mentions of homelessness or temporary accommodation.

Other institutions reported smaller but significant numbers of students experiencing homelessness. The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) found that three students reported that they were homeless in the year of 2024, whilst the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) reported an estimate of one student experiencing homelessness annually.

Of the institutions that could not provide a number for how many of its students were homeless, four are located in Dublin – DCU, Trinity College Dublin, UCD and RCSI – where the housing crisis is most acute. 

The government’s long-term strategy for student accommodation notes that there are currently 15,000 fewer beds for students than the number that is needed. 

This is “contributing to unsustainably long commuting patterns for some students”, the strategy says. 

The plan, called the National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026-2035, was published by the Department of Further and Higher Education in March of this year. It outlines a phased plan to deliver 42,000 additional student-specific beds over the next decade.

However, it also says that the degree of funding required to meet the current demand and future demand is “far in excess of State funding capacity,” stating that “private sector funding and development will be required,” alongside an increased focus upon rent-a-room accommodation.

It estimates that 10,000 beds out of the planned 42,000 increase will take the form of rent-a-room or ‘digs’ accommodation.

Technological universities are particularly highlighted in the National Student Accommodation Strategy as an area for further development. 

“The strategy recognises the growth of technological universities within higher education and the need for purpose-built student accommodation development on or close to TUs,” the strategy says. “Addressing this housing need is essential to supporting equitable access to education and enhancing the student experience across all regions.”

Currently, SETU is the sole technological university with purpose-built student accommodation on-campus, with 426 beds available.

Additional reporting by Christina Finn

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