French Embassy in Ireland warns international students that Ireland is experiencing a ‘severe housing crisis’

In a statement on its website, the embassy in Dublin said new arrivals will face “significant difficulties” in finding accommodation.

It posted the advice on its website as part of guidance for French people looking to move to Ireland.

It also warned that a strong demand has led to a “sharp increase in rents which are currently much more expensive than in Paris, including shared accommodation”.

“"It is therefore advisable for people planning to settle in Ireland to allow sufficient time for this search for accommodation (which can take several weeks)," the statement said.

Postgraduate student Lucie Duillon, who is from Strasbourg, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that she was searching for accommodation for two months.

Ms Duillon said she knew the search would be “difficult”, but she thought it would be a similar experience to that in Paris. She is currently studying sociology in Dublin.

“I started looking for accommodation in July and it took me approximately two months to find a flat in Dublin,” she said.

“And it was really like a full-time job because searching a flat was the first thing I was doing when I wake up and the last thing I was doing in my day.

“Obviously it’s way more difficult than that, it’s so more expensive than in France. My plan at the beginning in July was to pay around €500 maybe €600 and now my rent is €1,000, which is way too expensive for me so I might have to change flat during the year.”

Meanwhile, the president of the Union of Students in Ireland said international students have been “misled on the availability in accommodation in Ireland”.

In a post on Twitter, Beth O’Reilly said: “Our international students deserve the full story before they choose to study in Ireland.”

“They should be aware of all of the costs associated with studying here, as well as the abysmal accommodation situation.

“I'll be reaching out to more embassies in the coming weeks to encourage them to display similar warnings. Hopefully more will follow suit in helping to educate students on the accommodation crisis.”

International students

Meanwhile, the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) today expressed concern over Ireland’s reputation abroad as an education destination as a result of the accommodation crisis.

This year, ICOS has seen an 86pc increase in the number of queries handled through its information and support service relating to accommodation, it said.

ICOS said it has been contacted by many students looking for help finding accommodation, to report that they are homeless, to report a scam, or to make a complaint about the substandard, and often overcrowded, conditions of their accommodation.

Executive Director Laura Harmon said: "The student accommodation crisis is impacting on Ireland’s reputation abroad as a study destination as we can see clearly from the French Embassy’s recent warnings to its own citizens.

"The student accommodation crisis will have serious ramifications for Ireland’s higher education sector as well as our economy if urgent action is not taken. International students contribute more than €2.2bn annually to Ireland and play an important role in enriching Irish education and society."

She added the student accommodation crisis is worse than ever now due to a lack of supply, exorbitant rents and ineffective regulations on overcrowding among other issues.

"ICOS is also eagerly awaiting the publication of a new International Education Strategy for Ireland which is nearly two years overdue.’’

The independent advocacy organisation’s mission is to protect the rights of international students, and to contribute to a vibrant international education sector in Ireland which has the quality of the student experience at its centre.