[dropcap]A[/dropcap] lack of accommodation for DCU students this academic year has forced many students to commute several hours to and from college.
DCU students were once again faced with the prospect of trying to find accommodation in the run up to September, with many discovering that the rising price of accommodation, combined with a lack of student-friendly apartments, makes it next to impossible to find a place to live in the capital.
Journalism student Fintan Gallagher spends an average of four hours a day coming to and from his home in Monaghan to college.
“My commute is usually between one and a half hours and two hours depending on when lectures start”, he said. “I commute only because I can’t afford student accommodation in Dublin, it’s not really by choice.”
Many commuters are also suffering financially due to the recent Dublin Bus strikes.
Student Kieran Gormley said: “I’m supposed to be going in Friday and obviously the bus strikes are on, so I’m going to have to pay for a taxi for myself because there are very few people from my college anywhere near me. It’s going to cost me the guts of fifty euro just to get there and back.”
With college accommodation in DCU limited to just 1,400 rooms for undergraduate and postgraduate students combined, the majority of its students from outside Dublin use websites such as daft.ie and rent.ie to seek housing for the year.
In other cases housing far from the university is the only other option available, adding travel expenses to the existing high cost of rent.
An advantage for students living in the Dublin Bus catchment area is that a student leap card is available which caps at €20 a week.
DCU Students’ Union Welfare Officer, Cody Byrne, and the accommodation office on campus provide support and advice for students still seeking accommodation.
Fionnuala Walsh
Image Credit: carmodymoran.ie
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