Dublin’s newest student digs have a cinema and an arcade – but it’s €410 a week

"This is aimed at rich parents."

Most of us have stayed in some pretty grim places as students in Ireland. We'd lie in bed at night and dream of a mould-free ceiling or a shower that wasn't baltic - but never imagined living somewhere with a cinema or a arcade. That's exactly what's on offer at Dublin's newest student accommodation. New Mill on Mill Street in Dublin 8 is one of the city's newest student residences - a seemingly welcome development at a time when the squeezed rental market is leaving thousands of college students stuck for somewhere to live. The rooms are bright and clean - and going for as much as €410 per week. For that price, a resident lives in a 'deluxe' studio apartment featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and rain head showers. The official website shows that these rooms are all booked up for the coming September. The cheapest room on offer at New Mill, meanwhile, is the 'Standard Ensuite'. It includes things like a study desk with USB ports, a coat hook, mirror and additional built-in storage under each bed. It costs €255 per week. Residents at New Mill can enjoy its gym, cinema rooms, gaming rooms and even arcade. It's one of four student residences owned by Global Student Accommodation that are having a negative impact on the rental market in Dublin. "Not only is it out of the reach of students on State grants, even those working a 40-hour week on minimum wage would see more than 70 per cent of their wages eaten up by the cheapest rent on offer," DCU vice president of education and placement Craig McHugh told the Irish Independent. "Student accommodation should have a good standard but you don't need luxury gyms. "This is aimed at rich parents. It's pushing market prices up even further."