It’s more expensive than Paris!
French Embassy’s warning about Ireland
THE French Embassy in Dublin has issued a stark warning over the ‘severe housing crisis’ in Ireland to those thinking of relocating here.
It said the ‘strong demand’ and ‘saturation’ of the rental market have caused a hike in rents ‘which are currently much more expensive than in Paris, including shared accommodation’.
It warns French citizens, in particular students who wish to study abroad, the search for accommodation can take ‘several weeks’ and to be vigilant against property scams. The advice, which was posted on the embassy website, has sparked concerns over damage to Ireland’s reputation as a destination for international students, worth €2.38billion to the economy according to Government analysis.
Executive director of the Irish Council for International Students, Laura Harmon, said: ‘Without action, this will have serious ramifications for Ireland’s higher-education sector as well as our economy. International students contribute more than €2.2billion annually to Ireland, and play an important role enriching Irish education and society.’ Beth O’Reilly, president of ,the Union of Students in Ireland, said international students have been ‘misled’ on the availability of accommodation in Ireland. She said the issue was raised with Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris but there’s been ‘no action to protect students’.
She added: ‘Colleges and the Department
of Higher Education are more than happy to keep international students in the dark as they are the primary money maker in the sector – allowing colleges to profit and the Government to continue underfunding our universities and colleges.
‘Up until a few weeks ago, the Education In Ireland site displayed hugely outdated cost of living information – saying rent was €425 per month for students.
‘When we brought this up the figures on the page were deleted – not updated.
‘Our international students deserve the full story. They should be aware of all of the costs of living here.
‘I’ll be reaching out to more embassies in the coming weeks to encourage them to display similar warnings. Hopefully more will follow in helping to tell students on the accommodation crisis.’
The embassy also called for ‘great vigilance in the face of the risk of scams on the various ad sites’.
Gardaí recently warned students to be aware of accommodation fraud after a 30% increase in reports.
A French student who moved to Cork was targeted by fraudsters over a room. She handed over €3,000 and after turning up at the property, she realised the man she gave the money to was not actually the landlord.
New arrivals are therefore advised by the French embassy to not to sign a contract or pay a deposit without having previously visited the accommodation and met the owner or agency. Ms Harmon added: ‘People are taking desperate measures for places that are substandard. We would hear of a lot of overcrowding of four or six beds in a room. We have serious concerns about this in terms of fire and personal safety.’
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has met with student representatives to outline measures taken ‘to provide greater support to student renters’.
Measures include restricting the amount that can be asked for upfront.
The department said: ‘Minister O’Brien is working alongside the Minister for Further and Higher Education in relation to a new funding model for student specific accommodation.’
The Department of Further Education has been contacted for comment.
‘Students should get the full story’