UCC students commuting before dawn as housing crisis fuels daily parking battle

Sky-high rents and a lack of public student housing are forcing UCC students into long commutes and daily parking stress

Alex Fuertes Roper: ‘Our main message to the Government is that we need it to invest in more publicly owned and purpose-built student accommodation in Cork.’ File Picture: Larry Cummins

The increase in the number of University College Cork (UCC) students with no choice but to commute to attend their lectures has led to a daily battle for parking spaces that sees some arriving on campus before dawn.

For many, commuting from home or from accommodation elsewhere in Cork is their only option because they cannot find somewhere to rent closer.