Year on year it seems to be the case that there is a huge lack of student accommodation available despite the growing number of private companies building student villages.

GMIT Students’ Union president Colin Kearney highlights the issue their own members are facing this year.

“There is student accommodation crisis in Galway, it’s as simple as that,” he says.

“We’ve lobbied politicians, we have done absolutely everything we can – we’ve gone to the student accommodation providers, we’ve gone to landlords in the private market, even to the auctioneers who let out houses for landlords – and it’s just a case of accommodation is impossible to get in Galway and if you can get it, you’re being charged through the nose for it.”

GMIT don’t own any student accommodation but there are private student accommodation villages near the campus, but unfortunately the waiting list is rather long.

“There are some purpose-built student accommodations that their leases ended and they no longer have to be just student accommodations. They are going into the private market so students are losing out completely,” explains Colin.

“The students in a lot of places in the west, just feel a bit let down by the Irish Government in that regard, and the legislation around it. While it’s being improved, there are still loopholes involved and it just it isn’t doing us any favours at all,” he says.

Colin is calling for change, but of course this is not a new issue and it’s doubtful, despite the promise of the Government securing a multimillion euro loan to build student accommodation around the country, don’t expect to see any rapid changes yet.

The best advice is to get in there early and be prepared to up your budget as it won’t come cheap.