Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated at 3pm
STUDENTS HAVE ENDED their occupation of the dining hall at Trinity College Dublin – but have vowed to keep protesting until their demands are met, as hundreds attend a rally in the Front Square.
The students want the college to row back on its plans to bring in a €450 exam resit fee.
The Take Back Trinity campaign has been undertaking direct action on campus in response to the mooted introduction of resit fees, including blocking entrances to the college and occupying buildings. On Friday 9 March, the students blockaded the college’s Front Arch and shut down the Book of Kells for two hours in protest against the decision.
A group of up to 40 students has been occupying the college’s dining hall since 10am on Tuesday.
That occupation ended at 12.30pm today.
[image alt="A" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2018/03/a-43-296x222.jpg" width="296" height="222" credit-source="Hayley%20Halpin" credit-via="TheJournal.ie" caption="Trinity%20students%20who%20occupied%20the%20Dining%20Hall%20over%20the%20past%20few%20days" class="alignnone" /end]
A rally began on campus at 1pm in Front Square, Trinity. It included several speakers, including Richard Boyd Barrett of People Before Profit, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union, and members of the Union of Students in Ireland.
Student musicians followed the speeches with a music set.
https://twitter.com/HayleyHalpin1/status/974277325058641920
The Take Back Trinity campaign said today:
The rally marks the end of the student occupation of the Dining Hall, with students vacating the Dining Hall just before the rally. The current occupation comes to an end after escalated action from the College yesterday evening which left students inside the building without access to bathroom facilities and no food or water allowed in.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, international student Gus Culbertson said: “I’m here as an international student, my fees have risen twice in the last three years. I’m here in solidarity with those who cannot pay a supplemental fee, that can’t pay the increases in accommodation fees. I’m here for the post-graduates, the international students, I’m here for all students to make sure they can afford accommodation.”
https://twitter.com/HayleyHalpin1/status/974276862313664512
“I am tired, I am angry, my voice is wrecked,” Culbertson said, as he addressed the crowd earlier in the rally.
“We are showing this college, our college, that we are no longer complacent in their money grabbing ways. We are not cash cows. We are students, staff, people who are trying to further our education.”
University response
Trinity College Dublin had denied the claims that students were locked in. In a statement yesterday, the college said:
The students are not locked into the Dining Hall. They can leave at any time they want, and the College is taking all steps to ensure that the students inside are safe. However, we are not letting anyone else into the building, as there were concerns that large numbers of non-students had been invited into the building through an open call, and this would result in unacceptable risks for all concerned.
https://twitter.com/HayleyHalpin1/status/974282428788375554
Some movement in the situation came last night when Provost Patrick Prendergast – who it is understood is abroad – tweeted:
Agreed with @tcdsu & @trinityGSU that we will seriously consider alternative proposals on supplemental exam fees, modular billing & PG/Non-EU fees at the next Board meeting, and that Trinity is a university that belongs to all of us who study and work here #TakeBackTrinity.
This has been recognised as “a step forward” by the campaign.
“However, we plan to continue our direct actions until our three demands have been met. We will continue to escalate our protests until our demands are met,” said the protestors.
[image alt="B" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2018/03/b-37-296x222.jpg" width="296" height="222" credit-source="Hayley%20Halpin" credit-via="TheJournal.ie" caption="Students%20turned%20out%20in%20their%20hundreds%20to%20the%20rally%20today" class="alignnone" /end]
This afternoon, Trinity College Dublin said it welcomed the decision by the Students’ Union to “wind down protests and the occupancy of buildings”.
It said that the university’s management has “undertaken to consider alternative proposals on supplemental exam fees, modular billing and postgraduate/non-EU fees at the next board meeting”.
“There has been good dialogue over the past few days and we now have an agreement between students and university management. This will see the protests winding down. The university is now looking forward to renewing student partnership in the coming days and weeks,” Vice-Provost Chris Morash said today.
Proposed exam fees
On 23 January, Trinity College proposed supplemental (repeat) exam fees of €200 per exam with a cap of €1000 to Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union.
The union then proposed the motion to the Student Council, and the decision was moved to a preferendum. Out of a valid poll of 3,504 students, 82% voted strongly against the implementation of supplemental fees.
However, the college board decided to implement supplemental fees at a flat rate of €450. The Take Back Trinity campaign was formed in response to this decision.
The students’ demands include:
With reporting by Hayley Halpin
Incoming comments about how they could afford rent if they didn’t have a few drinks on the weekend.
@D: but back in my day ……. * angrily shakes fist*
@Keelan O’neill: back in my day rent for the year was easily covered by summer work.
It’s a nice idea but it’ll do no good, the rents will increase and the students will still pay it.
They have to be more radical (not talking about violence) but they need to make a bigger stand. For example, they could protest outside the new accomodation being built and stop work going on there, obviously this isn’t a good thing but it’s just an idea if they want to really put their foot down.
@John Black: Rents will NOT increase if people all stand together and say enough is enough! Rents are extortionate and FFG are happy for this to stay so they keep the REITS happy. FFG don’t care about the electorate. People need to stand together
This is all based on Supply and Demand, Ireland is currently one of the most attractive places in the world for international students to come and study. People who can afford to send their children to study abroad can also well afford these new increases.
@Cynical: so true, and that’s why the new accomodation currently under construction is more like a set of penthouses rather than basic student accommodation
@John Black: Irish Universities are not even in the Top 100 of the world. It has nothing to do with student accommodation! There only building student accommodation for the tax breaks
Jesus I wish I thought of that when i was in college, and they had much more land back then too!!!!
Referendum needed to fix the defective Irish Constitution to permanently solve the housing / Rent / Accommodation crisis … else, your great grand kids will face the same … important to bring your ‘young’ brains to the Polling booths …
https://www.change.org/p/irish-housing-crisis-referendum-on-family-homes
They have a case.
So at it’s lowest end (€749) it will increase by €30 per annum, few less shots one weekend and it’s sorted. This is a nothing article. We see article after article about how the cost of living is increasing on a monthly if not weekly basis. Even over a 8 or 9 month academic year equates to about 3.50 a month, for accommodation where transport and utilities are a non factor this is a bargain. Wait til these students decide to live and work in the real world and they will see what hardship is really like or will the carrot of taking their degrees overseas be dangled in from of the next government?
@Ian Breathnach: so based on what it’s like when they finish college and get to experience hardship by having a job (whatever that means) this is isn’t an issue?
10k a year to just have somewhere to live while going to college (and don’t forget fees/“registration costs” on top of this) seems like an issue to me…
Also, how is this an equal start for kids? Someone living in an urban area, close to a university can stay at home with their parents but if you live outside a commutable distance you could be hit with these substantial costs just to be able to attend university.
I know my kid’s college choices will be influenced by what and where we can afford to send them.
@Pilib: are you suggesting free accommodation to all students? Is an additional 3.50 a month extortionate? No. In the grander scheme of things does living on campus save money as I stated? Yes. Do you not expect your children to work while in college/university? Are you going to give them a few euro for pints during the week too? The point I’m making is it’s a small increase, regardless of what you think, it is not a huge amount ie one less coffee a month. Minimum wages have increased, obviously these students firmly believe that these properties and the college for that matter run on fresh air. Typically people don’t care how much it costs to run things, the behind the scenes maintenance and upkeep. People are outraged when it is suggested they pay for the services they receive.
@Ian Breathnach: I think you’re missing the point, the issue is that the price is already extortionate and the increase is rubbing salt in the wounds. 4% increase isn’t much if the original rent was reasonable but it is extortionate already.
As much as you like to think it, these students aren’t scroungers, they have no problem paying for accommodation if it’s a fair price but colleges are using it to squeeze every cent out of students, they’re taking advantage of them.
@John Black: explain to me how it is extortionate?
@Ian Breathnach: you pay 8000 for an 8 month lease , so 1000 per person per month, to share an apartment with 5 other people, thats 6000 per month for a basic apartment, now it’s your turn to explain to me how that’s not extortionate.
How can a college charge 48k for an apartment for only 8 months when “greedy landlords” get slammed for charging 24k for a 12 month lease?
@John Black: well, you don’t have to commute so no transport fees, all utilities are included and on site security 24/7 and depending on what halls you are living in there are other “luxuries”. Now I’m open to correction but you say apartment, but aren’t these ensuite rooms with communal living spaces?
Students will have Less money for drink and drug consumption
No one cares it’s the new progressive Ireland, so suck it up snowflakes
have your say