Press Statement 8 January 2026
Frank Jones, General Secretary, Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT)
The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) welcomes the growing public and political attention on the escalating costs of student accommodation and the wider housing crisis affecting higher education. As highlighted in recent media coverage, IFUT has consistently raised serious concerns about the impact of accommodation costs not only on students, but also on academic staff working across our universities .
Excessive accommodation costs are now a decisive factor in whether students can access higher education at all. Students are being forced to defer courses, change institutions, or abandon particular fields of study because housing is simply unavailable or unaffordable. This represents a direct threat to equity of access and to the long-term sustainability of Ireland’s higher education system.
However, this issue does not stop with students. The same pressures apply to academics, particularly early-career academics, postdoctoral researchers, and internationally recruited staff. Many are being priced out of university cities altogether, undermining our ability to attract and retain the talent required to deliver high-quality teaching, research and innovation. Housing costs are now a major consideration for academics when deciding whether to take up or remain in university posts in Ireland.
IFUT is also deeply concerned by the growing expectation that universities themselves should shoulder primary responsibility for solving the accommodation crisis through funding, building and managing large-scale housing developments. While universities have a role to play, the obligation to provide affordable housing cannot and should not rest solely with higher education institutions.
Diverting university management time, financial resources and strategic focus towards housing provision risks distracting institutions from their core mission: providing education, advancing research, and serving society. There is a real danger that such pressures could influence decisions around student intake numbers, course provision, and requirements for on-campus presence, not on educational grounds, but on accommodation capacity and financial risk. IFUT is clear that universities must not be placed in a position where the provision of housing competes with, or undermines, their educational purpose.
Housing policy is a matter of national planning, public investment and coordinated state action. It requires a whole-of-government response involving housing authorities, local government, and long-term public provision. Expecting universities to compensate for systemic failures in housing supply is neither fair nor sustainable.
IFUT will continue to advocate for affordable accommodation solutions that support students and staff alike, while safeguarding the integrity, independence and core educational mission of Ireland’s universities.