School progression figures highlight housing and access barriers facing students

 The Green Party has said that newly published secondary-to-third-level progression figures highlight how housing costs, geography and access to support networks are increasingly shaping where Irish students can study. 

 Cllr Conor Dowling, Green Party education spokesperson, said the figures should be a warning sign for policymakers. 

 “These figures tell us that many students are staying close to home not because they lack ambition, but because the cost of moving away has become prohibitive.  

Housing availability and affordability now directly shape educational opportunity. Where a student can afford to live increasingly determines where they can study and that is not a fair or sustainable system.” 

 Analysis of the data shows that a large proportion of students are choosing to attend third-level institutions close to home, a trend that reflects not just preference but financial pressure and housing insecurity, particularly for students from less-advantaged backgrounds. 

 The data also shows persistent inequalities in progression routes, with students from more advantaged areas more likely to attend traditional universities, while others are channeled into limited options based on geography, cost and commuting distance.  

Roderic O’Gorman TD, Leader of the Green Party, said the figures underline the need for joined-up policy.   

“Education outcomes do not exist in isolation. When housing, transport and cost pressures are ignored, choice becomes constrained and inequality deepens.   

If we want a genuinely fair education system, we must tackle housing, regional access and student supports alongside education reform.”   

The Green Party said the figures also expose serious weaknesses in how Ireland tracks student progression, with many pathways including further education, delayed entry and study abroad poorly captured in public data, limiting effective planning and accountability.