10,000 students protest ‘study now pay later’ loans

More than 10,000 students have marched on the Taoiseach’s office over the introduction of college loans.

The students were protesting about the ‘study now pay later’ loans the Government could introduce to cover the €600m needed annually for our third-level sector.

“Loans were brought in in the UK at £1,000 and they’re now over £9,000. Do you think our Government will bring in loans for €5,000 and leave them at that? They’ll keep increasing them, increasing them, increasing them until they are an insurmountable burden around your necks,” said Annie Hoey, president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).