Third-level for many is not learning but a massive challenge of just surviving
At least 346 students reported homelessness to Irish universities in 2024/25, but actual numbers are significantly underestimated due to incomplete data collection. Seven major institutions including Trinity College Dublin and UCD couldn't provide homelessness figures, citing lack of centralized tracking systems.
- At least 346 students reported homelessness in 2024/25; actual figure likely far higher
- Seven major universities including Trinity and UCD did not provide homelessness data
- Government's 10-year plan aims for 42,000 new student beds; acknowledges funding shortfall
- Only one technological university has on-campus student housing (426 beds)
- Some students sleeping in tents and cars while pursuing higher education
At least 346 students across Ireland's third-level institutions reported homelessness in 2024/25, though the actual figure is likely much higher as major universities don't track this data systematically.
At least 346 students across Ireland's third-level institutions reported being homeless during the 2024/25 academic year, according to data obtained through freedom of information requests. But that number is almost certainly incomplete. Seven of the country's largest universities—including Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and Dublin City University—either could not or did not provide figures on student homelessness, citing the absence of centralized tracking systems. The real count is likely far higher, and it does not account for the hidden forms of housing instability that students often endure in silence: couch-surfing between friends' apartments, living in temporary arrangements that could end at any moment, or sleeping in cars and tents.
The data comes from nine institutions that did respond to the information requests. Technological University Dublin recorded 54 students reporting homelessness in applications to its student assistance fund during 2024/25, part of a larger pattern—236 cases since 2020/21. Atlantic Technological University reported 97 homeless students across its campuses in the west and northwest. Munster Technological University counted 92. South East Technological University identified 37, mostly at its Waterford location. At the University of Galway, 33 students declared themselves homeless in 2025, with another 47 reporting that their temporary housing was about to expire. Maynooth University found at least 21 students experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The University of Limerick reported just one student through its main assistance fund, though seven others referenced housing insecurity through a separate emergency fund. Smaller institutions like the National College of Art and Design reported three cases, and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology estimated one student annually.
Rory Hearne, the Social Democrats' housing spokesperson and a former lecturer in social policy, described the figures as "scandalous and heartbreaking." He spoke from direct experience: he had taught students who were homeless. "It is extremely challenging for students to fulfil their potential at third level while being in homelessness," he told The Journal. "We know some students this year were sleeping in tents and in cars." What the numbers reveal, he argued, is that for hundreds—perhaps thousands—of students, third-level education is not a time of learning and growth but a daily struggle for survival.
The crisis reflects a broader housing shortage that has gripped Ireland. The government's National Student Accommodation Strategy, published in March 2026, acknowledges that the country currently has 15,000 fewer student beds than needed. The ten-year plan aims to deliver 42,000 additional beds by 2035. But the strategy also admits that the funding required to meet current and future demand far exceeds what the state can provide. Private sector investment and development will be necessary, the plan states, alongside an increased emphasis on rent-a-room arrangements—informal housing in private homes. Of the 42,000 planned beds, 10,000 are expected to come from this "digs" accommodation model.
Technological universities face particular pressure. The strategy recognizes their rapid growth within Ireland's higher education system and the urgent need for purpose-built student housing on or near their campuses. Currently, only one technological university—South East Technological University—has on-campus student accommodation, offering 426 beds. The strategy frames adequate housing as essential not just for student welfare but for equitable access to education across all regions. Yet the gap between what is needed and what exists remains vast, and the path to closing it depends on funding mechanisms that have not yet materialized.
Citas Notables
It is extremely challenging for students to fulfil their potential at third level while being in homelessness. We know some students this year were sleeping in tents and in cars.— Rory Hearne, Social Democrats housing spokesperson
What this shows is that third level for many hundreds, if not thousands, of students is not a time of learning and experiencing college life but a massive challenge of just surviving.— Rory Hearne
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why do you think the real number is so much higher than 346?
Because homelessness isn't always visible or reported. A student sleeping on a friend's couch, or living in a hostel, or in temporary housing they know will end soon—they might not tell their university. And seven of the biggest universities didn't even track it. If Trinity and UCD aren't counting, you're missing thousands of students right there.
What does it actually mean for a student to be homeless while trying to study?
It means you're not sleeping well. You're worried about where you'll be next month. You can't focus in lectures because you're thinking about survival. One lecturer said he had homeless students in his class—they're trying to write essays and pass exams while sleeping in cars. That's not a level playing field.
The government has a plan for 42,000 new beds. That sounds like a lot.
It does, but it's spread over ten years, and the government admits it doesn't have the money. They're counting on private developers to build most of it. And 10,000 of those beds are just informal rent-a-room arrangements—not proper student housing. It's an acknowledgment that the crisis is real, but the solution is incomplete.
Why are technological universities mentioned specifically?
They've grown rapidly, but they're spread across the country outside Dublin, and they have almost no on-campus housing. One technological university has 426 beds. That's it. Students at these institutions are commuting long distances or becoming homeless because there's nowhere affordable to live near campus.
What did the housing spokesperson say that stuck with you?
That for hundreds of students, third-level isn't about learning anymore—it's about surviving. He'd taught homeless students himself. That's not abstract policy talk. That's someone who watched it happen.