Letters to the Editor: Students are being held back by inadequate housing and public transport
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On behalf of our members at Munster Technological University (MTU), we write to highlight the dire issues concerning the third-level sector including the lack of student accommodation, the broken public transport system, and unreasonably high student fees.
The student accommodation crisis is widespread. Year after year, students struggle to find safe, affordable places to live. MTU students face an increase in accommodation scams, and those lucky enough to find a place pay exorbitant prices for unsafe conditions, impacting both their physical and mental health.
This is no longer just a housing issue, it’s an education crisis. How can students excel in their studies when they are constantly worried about where they’ll sleep at night?
The lack of student-specific housing has worsened.
Skyrocketing rents, limited purpose-built student accommodation, and fierce competition in the private market force students into unsafe environments. Students are the future doctors, engineers, and teachers of Ireland. They deserve a secure living space that nurtures their potential, not a system that prioritises profit over their wellbeing.
Many students turn to digs, but the lack of protections under the Residential Tenancies Act leaves them vulnerable to rent hikes, eviction without notice, and unsafe conditions. We demand the Government invest in affordable, student-specific accommodation, following the example of other European countries that subsidise and regulate student housing. Furthermore, students in digs must be granted the same legal protections as other tenants.
Temporary solutions, like expensive private developments, are not enough. Every student deserves safe, affordable accommodation.
The broken public transport system is another barrier.
Students are stranded due to unreliable buses, delays, and overcrowded services, making it nearly impossible for many to attend lectures on time. Despite promises of improvement, the system remains flawed, costing students hundreds of euro monthly while hindering their education. Efficient public transport is essential for students to access education, and Cork’s failing system reflects the broader need for investment nationwide.
In addition to housing and transport, students are burdened by the cost-of-living crisis and high third-level fees. The refusal to tie the SUSI grant scheme to inflation has left many students behind, intensifying financial pressures. While we welcome the recent €1,000 reduction in student fees, it is only temporary. We call for the full abolition of student fees in the coming years.
Education should be a right, not a privilege, and no student should be priced out of their future.
We urge you to commit to abolishing student fees, significantly fund affordable student housing, and fix the public transport system to ensure all students can access third-level education.
Brian Stanley’s resignation from Sinn Féin, with allegations of a “kangaroo court”, goes against the party’s mantra of openness, transparency and justice. This, so soon after Patricia Ryan’s resignation.
There is something inherently wrong within this party and its structure, where decision and governance, do not allow for dissent or discussion.
Decision-making by unknown unelected officials, and the constant allegations of bullying and harassment, challenging the party’s dogma, have led to the resignations of councillors and other TDs, namely Peadar Tóibín, Violet Anne Wynne, and Carol Nolan.
This, on top of the recent resignations of two Sinn Féin officials involved in giving a reference to another former Sinn Féin official, who was accused of sexual deviance and paedophilia, has added to this party’s struggle to be the main party on this island. The recent explanation by Mary Lou McDonald over Niall Ó Donnghaile’s resignation on health grounds shows how this party is more concerned with party over transparency and openness.
With an election looming in the very near future, it’s shortening the odds to be the party in government.
Who wants to vote for a party whose decisions are still influenced by a cabal made up of unelected officials in Belfast?
The new gambling regulations lack real knowledge or insight into the gaming industry. The gaming industry is worth billions and could be badly hampered overnight by the very people presiding over these new regulations.
It is a very specialised area and it is paramount that any person involved in the new regulations must have a wealth of experience in the gaming industry, If they do not then we are possibly looking at a serious crisis that will have far-reaching issues for existing operations or for anyone looking to invest in the industry in the future.
There are numerous errors in what is proposed but to mention a couple it is the staking which is €10 maximum bet. Not to mention capping jackpots, etc, to the tune of €3,000. Jackpots by nature are progressive so why the cap?
A clear example is The National Lottery where if the weekly jackpot is not won, then it naturally increases for the draw the following week. One could say it is that very principle that promotes the lottery and encourages people to play.
Rgarding the article — ‘Donal Lenihan: Taking Munster Rugby chief to task on Cork facts and figures’ (Irish Examiner, online, October 16) — Donal is a very wise man with balanced opinions which are highly respected.
On this occasion, I cannot agree with him.
The real bank is the player bank. Donal referred to this when he said the gap is widening between Munster and Leinster. Fill that bank and the supporters will fill Thomond Park as before.
Thank you for bringing a ray of sunshine to my day. Surrounded by negative news articles, the photograph on October 17 of Áine Hourihane serving up her scrumptious homemade cake with a disarming smile was so uplifting.
I can’t wait to head west to sink my teeth into her chocolate orange cheesecake in Glengarriff.
I wish to congratulate and commend Nicola Hanney for her bravery on last Friday’s 'Late Late Show' in which she spoke candidly about the abuse that she endured at the hands of her former partner Garda Paul Moody.
Nicola was so on the money when she posited the opinion that this man would never again be able to hide behind his Garda badge.
As a clinician, I have found that many abuse victims find life after their ordeal, to significantly vary from person to person.
I believe it’s a common misconception that everything is going to be fine and dandy after one leaves an abusive relationship.
I would certainly say that things do improve, but it’s usually an extremely challenging time for survivors. I find it most distressing and upsetting to hear that many of these abused vulnerable individuals and their families are often left without adequate refuge and support.
Due to homelessness, one notes that these poor souls often return to their abusers. I am acutely aware of the palpable impact the housing emergency is having on every level of our society and it’s particularly much more obvious amongst those who are vulnerable, like those who are victims of domestic violence. The sad reality of life in Ireland is there are people out there who feel trapped in these coercive and abusive relationships.
It’s my assertion that the state has failed abjectly victims of domestic abuse. This is a clarion call to the government to work on providing sufficient refuge spaces. I also want to see the rigours of the law being enforced on these men, who I deem cowards, who see fit to terrorise and abuse women. Finally, I want to again salute and applaud Nicola Hanney for her heroism in speaking out on this issue and wish Nicola every happiness and contentment in her life going forward.
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