Concerns have been raised over the decision by Trinity College Dublin to ask students living in on-campus accommodation to vacate their rooms by tomorrow.
The university informed students staying at Trinity Hall, the Binary Hub and Kavanagh Court that they must leave their rooms in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19.
It said it was aware of at least eight confirmed cases of coronavirus within the college.
Students living in Ireland have been told to return home from 8pm tonight, while those from overseas have been asked to leave their accommodation by 5pm tomorrow.
In a further email to students today, a spokesperson for the Graduate Students' Union at Trinity issued reassurance that no one will be left homeless as a result of the measures.
Many students had expressed their concerns following the announcement, which left some people with just 24 hours to vacate their accommodation with all their belongings.
Labour Party education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD said the decision by Trinity was "questionable at best".
He said: “While I am sure that intentions behind this decision are good, giving students little notice to leave their apartments is not an appropriate way of going about this.
“Many students who remain in Trinity-owned accommodation are international students. They have already paid high tuition fees on top of their accommodation fees.
"We’re meant to be the land of one hundred thousand welcomes, but it seems this doesn’t apply to one of Ireland’s top universities in the eye of a public health crisis.
“We are in the middle of a very troubling health situation coupled with the worst housing crisis the State, it is unacceptable to expect students to find accommodation at such short notice.”
Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin also said he would be in contact with the university about the matter.
