Students from University of Galway braved the first storm of the season yesterday (Wednesday ) to participate in a sleep out and protest over the ever worsening accommodation crisis, and to highlight the plight of Galway’s homeless students.
Coordinated by the University of Galway Students’ Union (SU ), protesters marched from the quadrangle to Eyre Square where they listened to speeches before setting up camp for the night. Coinciding with Storm Agnes, the bleak weather was a metaphorical match for the dire housing situation that students are facing in Galway.
“Our students are among the worst affected by the current housing crisis, we have students commuting for up to seven hours a day, paying extortionate rent, sleeping on friends couches or living in hostels,” said SU president, Dean Kenny, adding, “This is completely unacceptable, and it is down to lack of Government action. Students cannot possibly study, live and work under these conditions. We are calling for more affordable student accommodation, digs legislation, and for our public representatives to finally start taking this issue seriously.”
Since taking up their posts in July, the elected representatives that make up the University of Galway Students’ Union have prioritised accommodation concerns, as the lack of available, affordable and fair housing posing an insurmountable obstacle faced by a significant number of students.
“At the minute we have an accommodation survey which looks into the issue. We have a total response of over 2,000 students, out of that 2,000 there are over 600 students who don’t have suitable permanent accommodation and this is just three weeks into the academic year. Those students range from people that are sleeping on friends couches, staying in hostels or commuting more than half an hour each way from college.
“I spoke to a student last week who is driving more than seven hours each day to get here from Carlow. It is not just the students here or in ATU, it is everyone in the city that is feeling this. It is now no longer just a housing crisis, in my opinion, it is a living crisis because it is impacting people’s access to education.
“We are seeing a type of ‘luxury’ student housing being rolled out across the country that have bowling alleys, gyms and cinema screens but students don’t want that, they didn’t ask for that. They want a bed, they want a kitchen and they want clean facilities to go home to after their day is done.”
Death of the ‘college experience’
For those who choose to go into third level education, the college experience can be an integral point in the transition from teenager into adulthood. For many coming from rural areas or some distance away, college can be a place you find yourself, discover who you are, a time for romance and even just freedom to exist within the camouflage of a larger population. For young people in Galway, this experience is now at the threat of extinction, with two out of three young people continuing to live with their parents due to rising rents, and that is just those lucky enough to have parents who live nearby.
“University for some is the first time in their lives where they can be themselves, where they can find similar minded people. You might have come from a small town, but here is a big city where 20,000 students come, covering all different demographics and it is where you find your base and explore different parts of yourself, but that experience has been taken away from students because of accommodation.”
The recently built student housing supplied by the university is another cause for concern says Kenny, as it is not a feasible option for many due to cost.
“Although there was accommodation built, there were 600 or so beds put in there but the cost of these beds are extortionate. The lowest these beds go for is €816, there are 15 of those beds, the other 500 or so go for between €833 and €962. There are people paying up to nearly €1,000 a month on rent in university built accommodation, and we will be protesting about that on Wednesday because that it not right. People cannot afford that, 43 per cent of people in this student accommodation are on SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland ), but even the full grant payment per month, which is supposed to cover food, bills and rent, will not even cover one months rent in that accommodation.”
Hidden fees
While accommodation is the driving force, the protesters are also demanding that the price of ‘hidden fees and costs’ issued to students of the university are reviewed, especially the repeat exam fee which at €295 flat fee is the most expensive in the country ‘by far’, as well as post-grad fees, repeat module fees and services fees. These fees coupled with the lack of legal protection awarded to students living in lodging or ‘digs’ as they are known, is a significant problem that will only grow bigger as it continues to be the only kind of accommodation available.
“The Government has €65 billion in a rainy day fund sitting there in case of another COVID outbreak or another ‘emergency’. We are in an emergency right now. We say that Government may have a rainy day fund and it is raining now so use that money to support students as best they can.”
