By Ronan Barrett
University of Galway Student Union President Maisie Hall believes Budget 2026 has done little to help the growing student fees and accommodation crisis in Galway.
Following the government’s reversal of the €1,000 reduction in student contributions last year, a permanent €500 cut to third-level fees was announced Tuesday as part of next year’s Budget.
This essentially means college students will have to pay more than they did last year. Speaking to Galway Pulse, Student Union President Maisie Hall feels this change “will be difficult” for University of Galway students to handle.
“Whilst it’s certainly a step in the right direction, the practical reality is that the cost-of-living crisis has not ended, and students are still left paying more than they did last year.
“It will be difficult for students to reshuffle their budgets to cover the higher cost.”
Ms Hall revealed the Student Union office has received a startling amount of contact this term from students suffering with financial issues.
“We’ve had hundreds of emails to our office already this semester from students facing financial hardship, and this stress can have a real knock-on effect to a student’s studies, social life, and overall wellbeing.”
It does not seem the accommodation crisis will get any better for students, with Cuirt na Coiribe in Galway raising their prices by almost 30% in March. Ms Hall says the situation needs “real action.”
“Students have been shouting about the issues for years, and the situation is glaringly dire. Students are going to be commuting from further and further afield, and in some cases, it may be the reason someone misses out on their third level education.”
Final year student Conor Lyall from Clare has had to reconsider his options following the dramatic hikes in accommodation prices.
“I am now paying near double for accommodation [compared to] what I paid in first year and I’ve had to think about commuting here to Galway.
“It wouldn’t be ideal for me but the prices are so high so I might have to do it for second semester.”
The Budget includes a reduction of VAT on the sale of apartments from 13.5% to 9% to begin next year. Student Union Welfare Officer Paddy Marnane feels this will only support students if universities use this opportunity to build more accommodation.
“I believe the VAT decrease could go either way. It will only be of benefit to the student population if third level institutions decide to use the opportunity to build.
“I hope the universities see the potential with the decrease to set themselves ahead for the future.”
Mr Marnane also criticised the current SUSI grant system, stating some students are left unfairly treated by the income threshold it provides.
“Unfortunately, SUSI is far from a perfect system. Many students who simply can’t afford their fees are forced to pay full fees or more than they can afford, simply because their family earn a few euro over the threshold.”
For more information on Budget 2026, click here.