PRESS RELEASE Monday 26th September 2022
Students’ Union to Sleep Out to Highlight Accommodation Crisis
University of Galway Students’ Union will be holding an accommodation protest and sleep out at Eyre Square this Wednesday 28th of September. The protest will leave University of Galway campus at 6pm and make its way to Eyre Square where there will be speeches before the students set up camp for the night.
The Union is calling on the Government and Galway City Council to come up with urgent solutions for the huge numbers of Galway students who are currently homeless. The sleep out protest aims to draw attention to the plight of the many students who can’t find housing.
Students’ Union President Sai Gujulla said: “We already know of students who are returning to their home countries and dropping out of their courses because they have not been able to find accommodation. We have students living in cars and hostels or commuting huge distances or paying extortionate rent and this is unacceptable. Students can’t study and work under these conditions.”
Students’ Union Vice President/Welfare and Equality Officer Imogen O’Flaherty Falconer added: “We are getting hundreds of emails and phone calls every day from students and their families who are desperately seeking housing. It’s heart breaking to hear the circumstances that students are finding themselves in. There’s also been an increase in accommodation fraud which is adding to this nightmare situation.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PREASEISIÚINT Dé Luain, an 26 Meán Fómhair 2022
Comhaltas na Mac Léinn le Codladh Amach chun Aird a Tharraingt ar Ghéarchéim Lóistín
Beidh agóid faoi lóistín á reáchtáil ag Comhaltas na Mac Léinn, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe agus codlóidh siad amach ar an bhFaiche Mhór Dé Céadaoin seo chugainn, an 28 Meán Fómhair. Fágfaidh lucht na hagóide campas Ollscoil na Gaillimhe ar 6pm agus déanfaidh siad a mbealach go dtí an Fhaiche Mhór áit a dtabharfar óráidí sula ndéanann na mic léinn campa don oíche.
Tá an Comhaltas ag iarraidh ar an Rialtas agus ar Chomhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe teacht ar réitigh phráinneacha don líon mór mac léinn i nGaillimh atá gan dídean faoi láthair. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an agóid um chodladh amach aird a tharraingt ar chruachás an iliomad mac léinn nach féidir leo tithíocht a fháil.
Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Sai Gujulla, Uachtarán Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn: “Is eol dúinn go bhfuil mic léinn ag scor dá gcúrsaí agus ag filleadh ar a gcontaetha dúchais toisc nach raibh siad in ann lóistín a fháil. Tá mic léinn ag cónaí i gcarranna agus i mbrúnna óige, nó ag comaitéireacht achair ollmhóra, nó tá cíos ríchostasach á íoc acu agus ní féidir glacadh leis sin. Ní féidir le mic léinn bheith ag staidéar agus ag obair faoi na coinníollacha sin.”
Dúirt Imogen O’Flaherty Falconer, Leas-Uachtarán agus Oifigeach Leasa agus Comhionannais an Chomhaltais: “Tá na céadta ríomhphost agus glaonna gutháin á bhfáil againn gach lá ó mhic léinn a bhfuil a seacht ndícheall á dhéanamh acu teacht ar thithíocht, agus óna dteaghlaigh. Briseadh croí atá ann cloisteáil faoi na cúinsí ina bhfuil mic léinn á n-aimsiú féin. Tá méadú tagtha ar chalaois i gcúrsaí lóistín freisin, rud a dhéanann an scéal uafásach seo níos measa fós.”
