Paul Murphy warns students will march over housing and fees
Paul Murphy said students will repeat the mass walkout on Thursday 17 October at 11.30 a.m. to protest a worsening student accommodation crisis, the cost of living and what he described as a profiteering crisis. He said students will demand scrapping of student fees, proper student accommodation and a minimum wage equal to the living wage.
Protest background
Two years ago tens of thousands of third-level students led by USI walked out of lecture theatres in protest. Paul Murphy noted that the same organisers are calling another walkout for Thursday 17th of October at 11.30 a.m.
Worsening crises outlined
Paul Murphy said the housing crisis and the cost of living crisis have both gotten worse since the previous walkout. He warned of a profiteering crisis in which big landlords and private companies are seeking to make money from students' needs.
Students' demands
Paul Murphy said students will be marching out looking for a scrapping of student fees, looking for proper student accommodation and looking for a minimum wage that is equal to the living wage. He framed those demands as responses to the compounded housing, fees and cost-of-living pressures.
Official reply recorded
A reply recorded in the speech transcript argued that fees have been cut, grants increased, the PhD stipend increased, the rent tax credit extended and more investment has been made in third-level education than ever before in the history of the state. That response was presented as a direct rejoinder to Deputy Murphy's account of the students' situation.
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two years ago this week tens of thousands of third-level students led by USI walked out of lecture theatres to protest the student accommodation crisis and the cost of living crisis two years on they're going to do exactly the same this Thursday 17th of October at 11.30 a.m. and the problem is most of their problems have gotten worse housing crisis has gotten worse cost of living crisis gotten worse and they face in reality a profiteering crisis with big landlords and private companies seeking to make money they'll be marching out looking for a scrapping of student fees looking for proper student accommodation looking for a minimum wage that is equal to the living wage In relation to Deputy Murphy obviously students will absolutely continue no doubt to protest and highlight issues of concern to them but I would say to them we've cut their fees we've increased their grants we've increased the PhD stipend we've extended to the rent tax credit and we've invested more in third-level education than ever before in the history of the state
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