Student Grants Protest outside Dáil

Up to one hundred students yesterday protested outside the Dáil over inadequate grants and their late payment.

It was a far cry from the demonstrations in 2001 and 2002 when over 20,000 students took to the streets across Ireland to demand an increase in the grant to cover the cost of living. Nonetheless given the inertia of the student movement over the last few years it was a welcome step forward. Most of the students came from Trinity and UCD with some members of Labour Youth and Ogra Sinn Fein present.

The speakers included Ruairi Quinn T.D. who was part of the Labour government that abolished tution fees, Pearse Doherty of Sinn Fein and Independent Senator David Norris. Pearse Doherty spoke of how when he was in college in DIT he shared a room with four other people due to exhorbitant rents and poor student financial support.

Ruairi Quinn T.D.

Todays Grant Today