Immigration Service Delivery assesses your finances on documents. For a visa-required student, evidence normally means:

• access to the required financial amount — normally at least €10,000 for estimated living costs on a one-year academic course, subject to current immigration rules
• tuition paid, or a receipt for what has been paid
• six months of bank account history
• a clear, documented source of funds
• explanations and evidence for any significant or unusual deposits

This threshold is not a living budget

The financial figure is an immigration requirement. It is not a guarantee that the amount alone covers a year in Ireland, and it is not a realistic Dublin budget by itself.

Budget separately for the real cost of arriving and living:

• accommodation deposit and first month's rent
• food and groceries
• transport
• utilities and bills
• private medical insurance
• IRP registration costs
• airfare
• initial setup, such as a SIM, bedding and a laptop
• an emergency reserve

The cost calculator on this site builds these out for your own course and city, and shows the visa threshold side by side with your estimated spend.