Students stage walkouts over cost-of-living and accommodation crises

At 11.11am on Thursday, students such as these at University College Cork, left their lecture halls as part of the national walkout orgnanised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). Picture: Larry Cummins

Students walked out of colleges across the country on Thursday in protest at the cost-of-living and accommodation crises. 

At 11.11am on Thursday, students left their lecture halls as part of the national walkout orgnanised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). 

One student attending the walk-out at University College Cork (UCC) was Roisin Murphy, from Mallow. Ms Murphy told the Irish Examiner that if she hadn’t worked full-time over the summer and did not have her current part-time job, she couldn’t afford college.

“It’s getting to a point where it’s impossible to get an education and to try and make a life for yourself as a young person.” 

A first-year student, Ms Murphy currently commutes from her home as accommodation closer to the university is too expensive. “It’s upwards of €6,000 to €10,000 a year, it’s crazy.” 

Sinead Roche, a member of the UCC students' union, said accommodation remains the biggest issue for students again this year. “There were lots of students at the walk-outs who still haven’t found anywhere, or they just can’t afford it.” 

Students Jennifer Clifford, Grainne Stembridge, Orlaith O'Byrne and Maeve Bartley at the USI student walk-out protest at University College, Cork. “There were lots of students at the walk-outs who still haven’t found anywhere, or they just can’t afford it.”  Picture: Larry Cummins

Just 19% of purpose-built student accommodation is publicly owned, she added. “So, what’s there is a luxury and students just can’t afford it. Some places in Cork are charging €245 per week.”

Budget 2023 did not go far enough to address issues, she added. “The €1,000 is a once-off measure. The SUSI [student] grant still isn’t meeting inflation and plans for student accommodation weren't mentioned.”

Warning: The below video contains strong language

Student protest at University College Cork. "Some places in Cork are charging €245 per week.” Picture: Larry Cummins

The lack of accommodation is also an issue for students at Munster Technological University (MTU) according to Maeve Richardson of the USI who attended walk-outs at the MTU campus in Bishopstown. “Transport is also a massive issue for students here." 

"There are a lot of issues with getting out to campus,” she said. “One student I spoke to is commuting from Tipperary. She has no car, and the earliest train gets in at 9.40am. She then has to get the bus out to Bishopstown, meaning she’s not making it to campus before 11am.”

Mary Immaculate College in Limerick also has a high number of students commuting this year, according to student union president Aoife Gleeson. "We've students who are commuting two hours each way every day to come to class, who are paying so much in fuel prices but it's still cheaper for them than renting a room. 

This is on top of working part-time and studying full-time. They are burning out.

Speaking in Dublin, Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said Budget 2023 was the first budget in 27 years to reduce college fees. 

“The budget that we delivered only a couple of weeks ago has provided, and more importantly will provide in the weeks and months ahead, a level of unprecedented support for students,” he said.

At the end of the month, he will bring proposals to Government to try and help colleges get building again. “We have many colleges that have public land banks effectively with planning permission, and we need to make an intervention so they can get building."