Current NUI Galway students who are living in Cúirt na Coiribe now have 2 days to find an extra €1000 or they may be forced to take a year out of their studies.
The NUI Galway students currently living in Cúirt na Coiribe only received notice of the huge increase in rent on Friday afternoon at 3.20pm.
Cúirt na Coiribe which was recently sold to the value of €35 milion euro has always been primarily there for the students in second and third year, yet this massive 18% hike in rent will now force many of these students to consider dropping out of their studies or taking a year out to save.
NUI Galway Students Union President, Lorcán O Maoileannaigh is leading the protest into the hike in rents #Cúirtshakedown and today he has been receiving support from a lot of public representatives including Senator Aodhán ó Ríordán and TD Eamonn Ó Cuív.
Eamonn Ó Cuív sent an email to Lorcán earlier today where he pledged his support for the Students Union in their bid to fight the hikes in rent.
Lorcán spoke about the insensitive way Cúirt na Coiribe went about increasing the rents.
“Cúirt na Coiribe under new ownership has given students five days notice during the exam period over a bank holiday to find an extra €1000 for rent and on top of that the students have no other option because all other student accommodation is now booked up.
“Usually student accommodation release their priority booking before the public booking in early April so initially it was meant to be the 1st of Apil, then they were told mid-April, then late April and then there on Friday students got an email.
“In their email they mentioned the fact that they changed ownership and when we looked into that we found that Cúirt na Coiribe was recently sold for the tune of €35 million euro.
“You can see that the amounts are bleeding the students dry or they’re taking the most out of it with priority booking being given to current residents on Wednesday coming the 9th of May and then on the 15th of May it will be released to the general public. In their email they said we would advise you to take advantage of this weeks notice in order to book because they will be gone immediately.
Cúirt na Coiribe have not been responsive to NUI Galway Students Union’s attempts at communication, not answering calls or emails. Cúirt na Coiribe security also removed members of the Students Union, from the premises on Saturday evening.
“We were going from door to door talking to students saying how it was going to affect you? Were you given any prior notice? We were gathering our own information and we were removed by security so last night myself Megan and Andrew stayed outside Cúirt na Coiribe and students came out to tell us their stories.”
The increase in rent has caused serious stress to students who are already under immense pressure as they are currently in the middle of their exams.
The question of whether it is legal to increase the rents has been asked and unfortunately for the students it is because there’s a loophole in the current Irish legislation where student accommodation doesn’t come under the four percent pressure zone.
With upwards of 80 apartments in the complex which take between four and seven students roughly 250-300 students will be affected by this.
“They’re specifically targeting students because they know they’ve nowhere else to go. Of the students we’ve spoken to at the moment 40% of them are from Donegal and they won’t be able to commute.
Chances are many of these students will now drop out of their studies or have to take a year out in order to save if these increases do go ahead. Show your support and sign the petition which now has over 4000 signatures.
https://www.facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion/videos/1690293757673157/
https://www.facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion/videos/1692072787495254/
Credit a really annoyed Cúirt resident.
