Mansergh a no-show in UCD

dublin | rights and freedoms | news report Wednesday October 08, 2008 14:19 by J.Carax

Fianna Fail TD and Minister of State Martin Mansergh was due to speak last night at a LawSoc debate in UCD. The Campaign Against Fees (ad hoc name) had called for a anti-fees demo to greet him. However, a half an hour before he was due to speak, word reached us that Martin had pulled out!

Front banner. (Pic by W.)

Over 50* people marched from outside the Library, up through the concourse and into the Arts Block where we rallied outside Theatre M - making sure there was no other Fianna Fail Ministers or TDs going to take his place.

We had a open discussion/meeting afterwards in an empty lecture hall opposite where we decided to hold an organisational meeting of this new, broad campaign on Thursday (9th Oct). The exact room is to be confirmed, we'll be meeting opposite the Arts Cafe @ 6pm. All welcome.

A member from the Campaign Against Fees, Julian Brophy commented - "Martin Mansergh withdrew from the debate at the last minute upon hearing of the student mobilisation against fees. This is a clear indication that the government and its representatives are unable to provide adequate answers for the students whose education is going to be compromised if fees are reintroduced".

In 2002-3, the then Minister of Education Noel Dempsey had to withdraw his proposal to bring back college fees after a wave of student unrest.

Julian Brophy added, "For too long we have had our backs against the wall fighting against the step-by-step increase in the privatisation of education. We need to start forcing the government to respond to our agenda rather than responding to theirs. It is up to the students not to send out a strong message that they are not prepared to have their education right based on their financial circumstance".

* With a day and a half notice and on a rainy tuesday evening, these numbers are a positive start.