The shortage of student accommodation has reached a critical level at a critical time, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) claimed today.
With a fortnight to go before the start of the new college term and with thousands of third-level students searching for a place to live, the USI said the Government must urgently develop a student accommodation taskforce to tackle the problem.
USI President Richard Morrisroe
The body is staging an overnight protest expected to involve up to 30 people outside Leinster House, beginning at 5pm this evening, and are inviting Ministers and TDs from all parties to support their campaign.
"Tonight students are sleeping outside in the cold to represent new levels of desperation in the student accommodation morass," USI president Richard Morrisroe said.
"Environment Minister John Gormley must urgently implement his party's election pledge to enter discussions with USI on the establishment of a student accommodation taskforce.
The USI said thousands of students are struggling to find suitable accommodation, and that last year hundreds were forced to commute for two or three hours daily because housing closer to colleges was too expensive.