The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has appealed to homeowners in Dublin to consider offering accommodation to students during term time, as it fears the cost of renting may lead to some students being "priced out" of an education.

Dublin is home to more than 80,000 students, 20 per cent of whom are international students. The appeal to homeowners was described by USI president Laura Harmon as "necessary". She said the student population faced "a serious shortage of accommodation".

“The cost of accommodation in and around Dublin has risen enormously, pricing many students out of the accommodation market.” Many landlords who used to rent to students are now going after wealthier tenants, she said. “To compound this, the value of the student grant has fallen against inflation over a number of years. The end result will be students unhoused and dropping out.”

USI is calling for the Government to form a taskforce on student accommodation. The union has set up a website to allow homeowners to list spare rooms and their conditions, with the objective of providing students with contacts for those willing to help.

The system is free and also allows for landlords and agents to place their available accommodation online. The website will be available at http://homes.usi.ie.