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Updated 16:56
A NUMBER OF students briefly occupied part of the Department of Jobs and Enterprise in an anti-fees protest this evening.
Members of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) had planned an extended occupation of the building in Dublin city centre, but left when Gardaí arrived on the scene.
The students had brought enough food with them to last for several weeks – as well as a portable toilet – to the government ministry on Kildare Street in Dublin.
It is not known if Richard Bruton, the Minister for Jobs and Enterprise, was in the building at the time.
A spokesperson for the department told TheJournal.ie that the occupation had lasted ten or fifteen minutes and ended when the students voluntarily left the building.
USI president Gary Redmond said that the protest was to call on Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore to clarify the Labour Party position on third-level fees.
Speaking earlier to TheJournal.ie, Redmond was critical of the Labour Party, saying: “Students have had enough, and they’re going to stay in the building until the Tánaiste comes and clarifies the position on fees”.
Redmond said that the government parties were rolling back on their pre-election promises not to introduce third-level fees.
A tweet from the University Times, a student newspaper in Trinity College Dublin, suggested that the group would now attempt to occupy the Department of Social Protection.
Earlier this month 20,000 students marched in Dublin city centre against the possible reintroduction of third-level fees.
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4 hours?? The ones in Mayo have been burning for 2 full days now!!
The fires in Erris co mayo last night were one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. People were even evacuated from their homes.
I’m on Achill for the week and we’ve seen smoke from the same area for 3 days now, nothing under control about the fires down here.
4 days now!
How are these fires starting? It’s not like we have had weeks of dry weather and scorching sunshine. I’m not being sarcastic, I’m just really curious as to how these fires are happening.
I kid you not , last year I rang the local Garda station about fires in our area. This is what the Garda said, no joke……
Garda – sir have you ever heard or NASA
Me – yes
Garda – well they told us that a meteor was about to land in Ireland somewhere this evening
Me – really , I heard nothing in any radio station , news , think that would be quite news worthy
Garda – well it’s just in
Me – really
Garda – yes , so it may have hit your area and that is causing the fires
Me – you are taking the piss !
Garda – no that is the truth
Me – right…….. Thanks ……. So it not a local farmer setting off the fires to burn the gorse !
Garda – no a meteor
Me – right ………thanks ………. Hung up ……… WTF!!
So in short , no one really cares if your house is burned down!
They are burning the heather and clearing land. But killing thousands and thousands of wildlife in the process. Normally the fire wouldn’t spread but because the weather is so dry it’s rampant. Only 3 fire engines battling 4 large fires in Mayo. They haven’t the resources to calm these fires.
Considering it was a fire would it not have been more appropriate to ring the fire brigade!!!
Why would you ring the gardai about a fire. Would u ring them when your sick as well???
Peter everybody knows that you ring the guards when you’re sick, you are locked out of your house, there is a fire, there’s an object in the sky which may be a flare or even a UFO, when there’s a smell of gas, when your sister gets sunburned, when you find a dog, when people communicate with you through their televisions, when you see a ghost, when you get crap food in a restaurant, when you are refused entry to a night club because you’re pissed and most of all when there is any sort of noise RING THE GUARDS they are trained in all of the above!
The fires were happening every night for 2 weeks ,hence rang the Garda as its illegal to light fires in public areas …………
its a gorse fire not a forest fire.
Could it be farmers clearing land for sheep?
They should ban this outright and start throwing people in jail for it before some one loses their home or worse.
Idiot farmers burning land they have no intention of using anyway because of some old notion that belongs with the fairy forts and leprechauns.
This state has a divison of the Civil Defence that is called the Auxiliary Fire Service. If all retained or FT unots are stretched then they should be utilised.
That fire in the Silvermines mountains last night was pretty terrifying, it stretched the whole length of the mountain, was a sight to see.
I was on my way home from Shannon. The smoke could be seen at the toll bridge on the Shannon side of Limerick and I could still see it from Borrisokane. From the Limerick side, it looked like the whole mountain was about to erupt. It was an amazing sight. Nowhere to pull up to take pics though. I can’t imagine the smell that must have lingered in those houses in its path. Everything must be destroyed.
Can be something stupid like someone throwing a cigarette butt to a spark from a chimney .
Love how they only let farmers burn before the 1st of march, great burning weather that time of the year!
Its shatters fault for trying to cut wages come on people open your eyes don’t be sheep
Not sure if troll….or complete idiot…. :|
I’m thinking both!
Not to worry, the rains making a swift return.
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