Ireland

Students in Republic stage walk-out in protest at cost of living and accommodation crises

Thousands of students left lecture theatres and tutorials at 11.11am yesterday
Thousands of students left lecture theatres and tutorials at 11.11am yesterday Thousands of students left lecture theatres and tutorials at 11.11am yesterday

STUDENTS at colleges across the Republic have staged a walk-out in protest at the cost of living and accommodation crises.

Thousands of students left lecture theatres and tutorials at 11.11am yesterday to symbolise the risk of students dropping out of courses due to increasing financial burdens.

Crowds gathered outside campuses calling on the government to help makes changes.

The protest was organised by the Union of Students in Ireland, which said it was aimed "to remind college authorities and politicians that students aren’t an endless money pit".

The union is calling for the abolishment of the student contribution charge, increased funding for the higher education sector and a minimum wage that matches a living wage, particularly for PhD researchers. It also wants protection for renters, reductions in rent as well as subsidisation of purpose-built student accommodation from public funds.

The union has also claimed that landlords are exploiting the student accommodation crisis by charging sky-high rents. It comes amid an expected shortage of 20,000 student beds by 2024.

At Trinity College Dublin, a huge crowd gathered at the front square with student president Gabi Fullam telling those gathered that the cost of living crisis was escalating.

RTÉ reported that Ms Fullam told the crowd: "We are couch surfing. We have friends who are couch surfing."

She added: "Education is a human right...and we deserve to be able to avail of it."