Unruly students damaging university charity week

I find it disheartening that the reputation of the University of Limerick Charity Week and the students’ union, is undermined by a small number of unruly students.

The problems centre on an off-campus estate, while in close proximity to campus is a private residential estate. The UL and Students Union Authorities have no control over the activities there. In comparison, the on-campus villages have a heavy security presence that quickly suppresses any behaviour that gets out of order. There is also a significant security presence during the campus activities, such as bag searches on the entrance to the student courtyard.

The students’ union, though, has not ignored the local estates. A body of students are recruited as ‘MnM’s’ to patrol the off-campus estates. It is time that the landlords of these students houses take an active interest in their residents behaviour, failure to do so should result in them sharing the responsibility for damage caused. A major issue is the availability of cheap alcohol. Young people are drinking from midday to the early hours of the morning. The only way to sustain that level of consumption is through cheap beers and spirits. The vast majority of students are engaged in a peaceful law abiding celebration of charity week. This week will raise thousands for charity and that generosity by cash-strapped students should not be undermined. All parties concerned need to engage each other to ensure that UL Charity Week can end peacefully and return for another year. Strict and automatic punishment needs to be handed out by university authorities and the gardaí.