Cork Student Village to still house Ukrainian refugees for upcoming academic year

The complex was entered into a 12-month contract between the operator and the Department of Integration before a new agreed protocol

In March, the accommodation provider for the Cork Student Village apartment complex on the Carrigrohane Road, near Victoria Cross and close to the UCC main campus, told students it would remain closed this year for renovations. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

A student accommodation village in Cork city is still set to be used to house refugees for this coming year, despite a new agreed protocol for providers during term time.

The privately-owned Cork Student Village is to provide accommodation to Ukrainian refugees this academic year as it remains closed to students. It comes after the reversal of a proposal to convert student accommodation in Sligo into housing for refugees during the academic year.

In March, the accommodation provider for the Cork Student Village apartment complex on the Carrigrohane Road, near Victoria Cross and close to the UCC main campus, told students it would remain closed this year for renovations.

The apartment complex is made up of 60 three-, four-, five-, and six-bed apartments.

It later emerged the rooms will house beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) until the refurbishment work is carried out. The accommodation provider later said the apartments are “suitable to provide a vital emergency need".

As previously reported by the Irish Examiner, both the Department of Further and Higher Education and the Department of Integration had clashed over the move, as Minister Simon Harris was of the “firm view” all student accommodation is required.

Last week, the minister said that a new protocol has been agreed which instructs accommodation providers on how they should approach the issue during term time.

Accommodation in Sligo which was proposed to be used to house refugees during term time will keep housing students as it has done in previous years, Mr Harris also confirmed.

However, the new protocol does not apply in the case of Cork Student Village, according to a spokesman for the Department of Further and Higher Education. 

“It is important to note this property was not intended to be used for students this academic year. This was notified to students in March,” he said.

“Cork Student Village was entered into a 12-month contract between the operator and the Department of Integration prior to engagement with the Department of Further and Higher Education and therefore in advance of and outside the terms of the agreed protocol.

“It has been agreed to keep these contracted properties under regular review by both departments."

Crisis in student housing

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould said he fully supports the provision of emergency accommodation to refugees but that the loss of the beds is going to be a “huge hit” for students in Cork.

“We have a huge crisis at the moment with student accommodation,” he said, adding that his office has been contacted by many families around the country looking to find and secure accommodation in Cork for this term.

Mr Gould added that he is concerned the situation could be “manipulated” by the far-right and that there is a supply of alternative vacant Government buildings that could be used instead.

“For the department to allow this to happen, it’s just going to feed into all the anger and frustration that is out there. It just shows the whole lack of co-ordination between ministers and different departments.”