Republican News · Thursday 22 November 2001

Student Watch

Government must address student housing crisis

As with every year, and often every term, the students of Galway returned to college, to face dramatic rent increases this September.

The size of the college population is doubling, as set out in the college's development plan. New buildings such as the Millennium Building and the IT Building are now at the disposal of the student body and are welcome developments. Much of the rest of the college infrastructure, however, is failing to keep up with the population change, as can be seen by the ever increasing length of queues on and off campus. This problem needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency by the relevant bodies in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh.

Worst of all though, in terms of neglect, is the accommodation situation, which has reached crisis stage. Exploitation of students was a problem long before the current expansion of the college. The rent increases forced on students this September demand immediate attention.

The current government, as with its predecessors, has failed to stand up to landlords. Faced with a shortage of choice, students must grab what is on offer, regardless of their rights. Taking a stand is a time-consuming and often lonely position for students in today's world. It should also be an unnecessary one.

As an immediate measure, the FF/PD government should ensure that the criteria for those seeking to rent out accommodation should be enforced. This is currently not the case. In addition, those criteria, which are in any case extremely weak, must be added to. They should include measures such as rent controls, or the setting up of a state agency to assess the value of a given property being rented to avoid overcharging.

The 26 Counties has the lowest percentage state-owned student accommodation in the EU. Four successive budgets by the current government have seen little done to remedy this. Sinn Féin, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, believes increased provision of state-owned student accommodation would ease the housing crisis that is crippling much of Irish society. This type of accommodation would be affordable and staffed and maintained by students. During the summer months, it could also be used by foreign visitors, earning revenue for the state.

The exploitation of those in rented accommodation must end. By taking students out of the race for accommodation race, the government could end the exploitation of all those unable to afford their own house.

Sleep Out Protest

In order to demonstrate our dissatisfaction with five years of government inaction, Sinn Féin, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh will hold an sleep-out outside Minister Bobby Molloy's Office on Tuesday next, 27 November, from 9pm to 9am. Should you wish to participate, we will be departing from AC 204 at 8:30pm.

DCU remembers the 1981 Hunger Strike

Students looked on in amazement as four blanket-clad figures walked barefoot out of the Hub, up to the Library and all the way back to Grattan on the coldest day of the year. But it was four intrepid members [Donncha, Marc, Seán and Ciarán] of the Sheena Campbell DCU SF Cumann advertising a fascinating multi-media exhibition on the 1981 Hunger Strike, in which ten young Irish republicans gave their lives.

The dramatic advertising must have worked because unprecedented numbers of students visited the exhibition, which was mounted from 10am to 4pm on 14 November.

Visitors were treated to a compelling history of hunger strikes going back to Vol Thomas Ashe in 1917, right up to the moving events of 20 years ago via image, videos, audio recollections, and artifacts such as smuggled radios and comms written on Rizla paper.