Young people from across Ireland have marched in Dublin to demand Government action to tackle the “crisis” facing students.
Teaching representatives also joined in the protest event, which concluded with a loud rally within earshot of the Dáil and Government Buildings.
It heard stories of students struggling with high fees and being unable to find affordable accommodation.
The demonstration took place as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald clashed inside Leinster House about the issues during Leaders’ Questions.
Among the speakers was Dean Kenny, president of the University of Galway’s Students’ Union.
“We’re here to show representatives in this building behind us and the wider public that has seen us marching through the streets that students are fed up of being constantly strung along and not having their concerns taken seriously,” he said.
“There’s high fees, there’s a serious lack of accommodation, spiralling rents, cost of living and inflation is all impacting on ordinary everyday students. And that’s what we are – this is everyone this affects, every one of us here today, whether it’s Dublin or Cork or Galway, any part of the country, it’s not limited to one place.”
Mr Kenny said many students who have found accommodation readily admit they were “lucky” to secure it.
“What sort of a country are we with a 65 billion euro surplus in our budget, we’re nearing full employment, we’re financially secure, and we find ourselves saying we’re lucky to have the most basic human rights when we go to study in college,” he added.
In the Dáil, Sinn Féin president Ms McDonald told Mr Varadkar students were “drowning in costs”.
“So many cannot find an affordable home near to their college, so they couch surf, they commute exceptionally long distances, or, if they’re lucky, they are forced to pay rip-off rent.
“This is having a terrible impact on their education, their mental health and general wellbeing.
“And students feel that the accommodation crisis is robbing them of a future in Ireland.”
Ms McDonald said the student accommodation crisis was “just one symptom of Government’s wider failure in housing”.
She said: “An entire generation locked out of affordable housing and home ownership, locked out of opportunity, locked out of a decent future and, on the watch of your Government, any semblance of affordability has been torn to shreds.”
Ms McDonald said students were having to choose between financial hardship or dropping out of education.
She added: “Many finally decide just to leave Ireland to have their chance at a better future. So, they get their qualifications, they’ve done the training and then they board the plane to Perth or Toronto or Boston.”
Mr Varadkar rejected Ms McDonald’s claim that the Government was not addressing the issue.
But he acknowledged there was a problem and more needed to be done.
The Taoiseach promised more action would be outlined in next week’s budget.
He accused the Sinn Féin leader of misrepresenting his position by suggesting he thought there was not an issue.
Mr Varadkar said: “Why did you seek to misrepresent what I said, why did you seek to put words in my mouth, because you are the great mis-leader deputy McDonald.”
He claimed she was pushing a false narrative of a mass exodus of young people out of Ireland.
“The truth is different deputy,” Mr Varadkar told Ms McDonald.
“For centuries, Irish people had to leave in huge numbers and didn’t come home. It’s different now. Yes. 80,000 Irish citizens, 80,000 Irish nationals, many of them young people, left in the past three years.
“But 90,000 came back. Why would you never say that? Because you don’t want people to know the truth, because you are the mis-leader and you want to get your way into office by creating a false impression about our country and what it’s like.”
By By David Young, PA
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