Statement of in tent from students
DAIL PROTEST ON LACK OF HOUSING
COLLEGE students have staged a protest outside the Dail amid growing frustration over the accommodation crisis across Ireland.
Representatives from the Union of Students in Ireland ( USI) say that thousands have been left without a place to live at the start of the new academic year.
USI president Clare Austick said many students have been forced to stay in hotels, B& Bs, hostels or commute long distances.
A number of the protesters slept outside the Dail last night to highlight their campaign.
“We’re angry, we’re outraged we’re frustrated. We’re annoyed the Government just has not taken our calls on board and haven’t taken the student nt accommodation crisis ser iously ly enough,” M Ms s
Austick said.
“We want them to ensure there’s more ore purpose- built stuudent accommodation ion that’s affordable for students, that there ere is a regulation on rents and that whenenever there’s new courses introduced, ed, or new course places aces are introduced, that there’s always a place for students to sleep in.
“This all comes down to access to education. Students have been priced out of education because there’s no accommodation they can stay in, and enough is enough and this is why we’re here to be heard.”
Beth O’Reilly, a sabbatical officer with the USI and a graduate of UCC ( University
College Cork), said the p r o b l em ha s worsened.
“The Government wants to pull the wool over their eyes with it, they don’t want to deal with it, they don’t want to think about it so we’re bringing the crisis to their doorstep,” Ms O’Reilly added.
“They have to really reckon with what their policies have caused in the student population.”
She said many students, particularly international students, are facing huge issues.
Delayed
“The delayed Leaving Cert results meant that a lot of students didn’t know where they were going to be attending college until a lot of the accommodations was already snatched up,” she added. “I definitely feel for first years who are thrown right into the deep end.” A spokesman for Dublin City University, said that it is experiencing “unprecedented d demand” for on- on campus accommodation. “While DCU doesn’t have any an evidence of deferrals due to lack of accommodation, we w are aware from our Student’s S Union of the significant n pressure this deficit is i putting on students and their t families,” they added. “There is a significant cris sis in stu d e nt a accommodation.”