Students in the South Fight Against Fees

The Union of Students in Ireland will hold a succession of protests on college campuses around the south of Ireland as part of its campaign against the reintroduction of fees.

Protests will be held by University College Cork, the Limerick School of Art and Design and the Institutes of Technologies in Carlow, Limerick Tralee and Waterford from October 7 – 14.

Hundreds of students, representing their individual colleges, will come out to voice their opposition to the reintroduction of fees at each event.

A host of local TDs have also been invited to speak at the rallies.

These demonstrations reinforce the USI’s intention to fight tirelessly against any return of third level fees, including the implementation of a deferred-loan system, or graduate tax.

USI President, Peter Mannion, said:

“The students of Ireland want a winter of change.

If the current crop of Irish politicians decide to reintroduce third level fees, the youth of this country will suffer greatly.

They did not create our economic problems, yet it is their futures that are at stake. The education of current and future generations should not be sacrificed to bail out the foolish spending of the Government.

The students of this nation are angry with proposals to tax education through tuition fees. This Government should be investing in education to secure the country’s recovery from the recession.

By reintroducing college fees, third level education will be made inaccessible to many disadvantaged people around Ireland. This will inevitably lead to a vicious circle of longer dole queues and increasing numbers of people being unable to access higher education.

The upcoming protests will allow students in the south of the country to have voice their concern and the USI’s fight against fees will continue throughout this winter.”

Ends

The dates and locations for each protest are as follows:

University College Cork - 12.30pm, October 7, 2009
Institute of Technology Carlow – 1pm, October 8, 2009
Limerick Institute of Technology – 12pm, October12, 2009
Institute of Technology Tralee – 1pm, October 13, 2009
Waterford Institute of Technology – October 14, 2009 (Time to be confirmed