The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has called on the next government to publish a new strategic plan for student accommodation and to commit to taking urgent action to address the current crisis.
The USI's general election manifesto, which was launched on Monday, also calls for the next government to introduce free public transport for all students, abolish all third-level fees, and decriminalise recreational drugs for personal use.
The policy areas included in the Student Manifesto are: Housing and Transport, Access to Education, Democracy and International Affairs, Student Wellbeing and Inclusion, and the Irish language.
USI president, Chris Clifford said: “Ahead of the announcement of Budget 2025, USI outlined how we felt there was a significant opportunity for the Government to finally address the serious challenges facing third-level students.
"However, this chance was definitely not taken by Government, which showed through its inaction, the lack of interest it has in supporting third-level students.
“In the Student Manifesto, which we are publishing today, we have outlined clearly what students across Ireland need to see prioritised by the next government of Ireland and we are calling on all TDs and election candidates to support this manifesto, support students and seize that opportunity to change the future of this generation of students in Ireland for the better.”
Some of the main asks in the Student Manifesto include:
- Publish a new strategic plan for student accommodation and commit to providing the number of students' beds needed to fill the shortfall;
- Make the required legislative changes needed to allow Technological Universities borrow money to build and purchase student accommodation;
- Introduce free public transport for all students;
- Abolish third-level fees, including at postgraduate level, to provide equal access to education and reduce the financial barriers;
- Establish a minimum stipend of €28,000 for all PhD students;
- Decriminalise recreational drugs for personal use;
- Provide core multi-annual funding for student mental health services to increase the counsellor to student ratio to 1:1,000;
- Increase the percentage of Irish-language courses at third level to five per cent within the next five years, to ensure the success of the 2030 goal of 20 per cent of the public sector working through Irish.
