Munster students take to streets to say No to college fees

JP Liz

Almost 6,000 students from Munster gathered in Cork today to voice their united opposition to a re-introduction of third-level fees.

The action followed smaller-scale protests held across the country since August when the Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe hinted at the return of fees.

Students from University College Cork (UCC) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) teamed up with others in the region to create the alliance Munster Students Against Fees (MSAF), including student representatives from University of Limerick, Limerick Institute of Technology, Mary Immaculate College, Institute of Technology Tralee and Waterford Institute of Technology.

Representatives from MSAF along with the Union of Students’ Ireland (USI) president Shane Kelly gathered from 10am at CIT and UCC in a show of solidarity.

CIT students gathered at 10.30am at their Bishopstown campus where a giant paper machè model of the Minister for Education was loudly booed.

They walked down Model Farm Road and College Road to join UCC’s student body at 11am along with hundreds of students from Limerick, Waterford and Kerry.

The student mass then made their way down to Cork City centre, along Bachelors Quay and up Patrick Street, before convening on the Grand Parade.

Blowing whistles and brandishing placards, the protesting students wore orange T-shirts which read, ‘Munster Students Against Fees’ on the front and ‘No To Fees’ on the back.

CIT Students’ Union President Gearóid Buckley explained: “This protest is the climax of our anti-fee campaign so far. However, it is important people are aware that this is not the end.

“We will fight to protect the interests of our students both present and future and we will continue to campaign against the Minister's batty policies.”

UCC Students’ Union president Cal Dioliún said he feared any reintroduction of fees, no matter to which level of income earner, would trickle down through to all students.

He said: “I strongly urged all students to demonstrate their strength of feeling by marching on Cork today. Its important that students show they will not be scapegoats for Governmental and university misspending.”

The students’ union presidents have made clear that they felt the increase in registration fees this year at the colleges by €75 was also unacceptable.

Annie Duggan, 20, from Grange, Co Cork, a second-year CIT business student, said today: “If they bring in fees I won’t be able to continue my studies at college. I won’t end up doing the career that I want to do.”

Emer Barry, a 21-year-old CIT business student from Bishopstown, Co Cork, added: “The ordinary student costs including books and accommodation demand enough of money without having to pay fees on top.”

Brien Mullins, 19, a software development student from Ballincollig, Co Cork, said: “I work all summer to get by and pay the registration fee that goes up every year. I get by through living at home and driving to college, so I wouldn’t be able to afford the fees.”

A spokesperson for the Minister for Education said students should be aware any move to reintroduce fees would only affect students from high-income backgrounds where parents earned in excess of €120,000.

Commenting on the protest today, the spokesperson said: “The Minister welcomes all constructive and informed input from all sides in what is an important national conversation on the future of the higher education sector in Ireland.”

GO STUDENTS!

clansman

fair play to ye.... i'd reckon there was be some piss up after the march!!! ah the go auld college days

life_is_music

haha yeah it was a great laugh!!! Any excuse to protest:D

suppafly

it was great that so many people turned out in force to show what we think about fees. Lots of people along the way looked like they were supporting us aswell. Like a number of people we beep there horns and one guy on pana in a big artic turn kept pulling his horn aswell and then we'd all cheer too it. The speeches up at the grand parade were good too and Senator Alan Kelly( i think thats what his name was) even came along to give a speech. I saw a bunch of photographers and 2 TV camera from TV3, it think, following us. Did any one see it on the news that day?

I've attached a few pics here aswell. The first is of us all marching down the quay by cornmarket street, the second is some of the crowd down at the grand parade listening to the speeches and the last is one of the students heads giving a speech.

mahamageehad

suppafly wrote: »

The speeches up at the grand parade were good too and Senator Alan Kelly( i think thats what his name was) even came along to give a speech. I saw a bunch of photographers and 2 TV camera from TV3, it think, following us. Did any one see it on the news that day?

Ya he was fair cool!! Yup, my mammy taped it for me hahaha!! Parentals, ya gotta love 'em!

suppafly

mahamageehad wrote: »

Ya he was fair cool!! Yup, my mammy taped it for me hahaha!! Parentals, ya gotta love 'em!

nice one. Did it look good? Also what papers was it covered in? I saw loads of photographers snapping off pics everywhere

RebelRockChick

suppafly wrote: »

nice one. Did it look good? Also what papers was it covered in? I saw loads of photographers snapping off pics everywhere

There was a piece about it in Friday's Evening Echo, had a big photo of students on pana. Couldn't help but laugh at a Father Ted inspired 'Careful Now' sign

suppafly

RebelRockChick wrote: »

. Couldn't help but laugh at a Father Ted inspired 'Careful Now' sign

yeah there was 2 of them dressed up in all the gear too. They also had another sign that said "Down with this sort of thing". They kept saying it the whole way too "careful now", "down with this sort of thing". Was pretty funny