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 on Tuesday 1st of September. The protest will meet the Quadrangle at University of Galway campus at 3.30pm and make its way to Eyre Square where there will be speeches at 4pm before the students set up camp for the night.
The Union is calling on the Government and the University to come up with urgent solutions for the huge numbers of Galway students with no accommodation confirmed for the academic term starting next week. The sleep out protest aims to draw attention to the plight of the many students who can’t find housing.
Students’ Union President Seán de Búrca said: “Our students are among the worst affected by the housing crisis. We have students commuting for up to 7 hours a day, paying extortionate rent, sleeping on friends’ couches or living in hostels. This is the result of years of a lack of Government action. It’s not acceptable to expect students to put up with such a dire state of housing. We are calling for affordable student accommodation, digs legislation, and for our public representatives to finally start taking this issue seriously.”
Students’ Union Vice President/Welfare and Equality Officer Molly Hickey 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.”
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 Máirt, an 1 Meán Fómhair. Tiocfaidh lucht na hagóide le chéile sa Chearnóg ar champas Ollscoil na Gaillimhe ar 3.30pm agus déanfaidh siad a mbealach go dtí an Fhaiche Mhór, áit a dtabharfar óráidí ar 4pm sula ndéanann na mic léinn campa don oíche.
Tá an tAontas ag iarraidh ar an Rialtas agus ar an Ollscoil teacht ar réitigh go práinneach ar an líon ollmhór mic léinn in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe nach bhfuil aon lóistín deimhnithe acu don téarma acadúil a thosóidh an tseachtain seo chugainn. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an agóid um chodladh amach aird a tharraingt ar chruachás an iliomad mic léinn nach féidir leo tithíocht a fháil.
Seo a dúirt Uachtarán Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn Seán de Búraca: “Tá ár mic léinn san Ollscoil i measc na ndaoine is mó atá thíos leis de dheasca na géarchéime tithíochta. Bíonn roinnt mic léinn ar an mbóthar 7 n-uair an chloig sa lá, roinnt acu ag íoc cíos thar a bheith ard, agus roinnt eile ag codladh ar tholg cairde leo nó ina gcónaí i mbrúnna. Is de bharr easpa gnímh an Rialtais le blianta atá cúrsaí mar atá. Ní féidir le mic léinn glacadh le staid tithíochta atá chomh holc seo, agus níor chóir a mheas go nglacfadh. Is iad na héilimh atá againn ná lóistín do mhic léinn ar phraghas réasúnta, reachtaíocht maidir le seomraí ar cíos agus go gcaithfeadh ár n-ionadaithe poiblí go dáiríre leis an bhfadhb seo .”
Bhí an méid seo le rá ag Molly Hickey, Leasuachtarán de chuid an Chomhaltais/an tOifigeach Leasa agus Comhionannais: “Tá na céadta ríomhphost agus glaonna gutháin á bhfáil againn gach lá ó mhic léinn agus ó dhaoine dá muintir a bhfuil a seacht ndícheall á ndéanamh acu teacht ar thithíocht. Briseadh croí atá ann cloisteáil faoi chás na mac léinn sin.”
