Government ‘could do more’ on student housing - UCC president

Prof John O’Halloran was speaking at the opening of University College Cork's 255-bed Crow's Nest student apartment complex

The desk and bed in one of the rooms at the newly-opened UCC Crow's Nest student accommodation complex at the junction of Carrigrohane Rd and Victoria Cross in Cork. Pictures: UCC

The president of University College Cork has said the Government needs to "do more" to solve the student accommodation crisis. 

Professor John O’Halloran said funding shortfalls are preventing colleges from providing enough bed spaces for students, with existing accommodation "massively oversubscribed" and lotteries now in place to decide who gets a place to live near campuses. 

Prof O'Halloran was speaking at the launch of the new UCC Crow's Nest student accommodation, with 255 students moving in from next week.

The development brings UCC’s student homes portfolio to almost 1,600 beds.

UCC's Nead an Phréacháin / Crow's Nest student accommodation complex, right. This view is from Cork County Hall looking east toward the city centre, with UCC's Mardyke Arena sports centre middle left. Picture: Larry Cummins

An earlier strategic plan aimed to develop 2,000 student beds, but the biggest block to achieving that target is funding, Prof O'Halloran said.

“The difficult challenge students face in obtaining accommodation is very clear,” he said. 

“Universities cannot solve this situation on their own. We need Government to work with us.

“I think Government could do more. We’ve worked hard with Government, and Minister [for Higher Education Simon] Harris’s team has been really committed to helping us.”

Despite “a lot of draws” on the public purse, Prof O’Halloran hopes that UCC will successfully lobby the Government for more funding ahead of Budget 2024 in October.

The kitchen and dining area in one of the student apartments in the newly-opened UCC Crow's Nest / Nead an Phréacháin development. Pictures: UCC

He said that a €307m funding gap in higher education needs to be plugged and that the sector provides an “extraordinary” return on investment, with UCC generating €2.5m daily and €1bn annually.

Niamh Guinevan from Fermoy will be one of the first students to move into the Crow’s Nest’s four towers of slick apartments next week to start second year of early years and childhood studies.

“It’s extremely modern. It’s everything I like to see in a building,” said Ms Guinevan.

“It’s very spacious, you have enough room. The desk, the beds, all the design is very nice. The common room is huge with a pool table. The room has a view of the whole city.”

Ms Guinevan said that the accommodation was affordable compared to most private room rentals and was of a much higher standard than the room she rented last year.

“I feel extremely lucky to have found this. Every year there’s a struggle in where you’re going to get accommodation, or if you’re going to get it.

At the opening of the Crow's Nest were UCC president Prof John O’Halloran, County Mayor Frank O’Flynn, second-year student Niamh Guinevan, campus accommodation manager Pauline Gilheany, and Lord Mayor of Cork Kieran McCarthy. Picture: UCC TV

“Some of my friends still have not been accepted anywhere, there is a struggle out there to find accommodation.

“So it’s very important that we have facilities like this in Cork City.”

Campus accommodation is “massively oversubscribed” so beds are assigned on a lottery basis from March.

However, as college places are offered to first-year students this week, some beds become available as prospective first-year students who had secured accommodation at UCC do not take up a college place there.

The new UCC Crow's Nest student accommodation on the junction of Victoria Cross, left, and Carrigrohane Rd, right, on the western side of Cork City. Picture: Larry Cummins

The 255 new beds coming on stream this week in the Crow’s Nest development brings the total number of UCC student accommodation beds to 1,534.

Most of the fully furnished apartments have four bedrooms and the building includes 125 bicycle spaces and 24-hour security.

The near zero energy building will have a Breeam ‘excellent’ rating and includes sustainability features including heat recovery ventilation, low usage water fittings, and photovoltaic solar panels.

Located at the junction of Carrigrohane Rd and Victoria Cross, the 8,077sq m building was designed by a team led by McCullough Mulvin Architects.