Thousands of students are due to take to the streets in a series of regional protests in opposition to further fee increases and cuts to student grants.
The first of the protests begins today at 1pm at the University College Cork.
The Union of Students in Ireland has launched a new campaign website, as it prepares to hold fifteen regional protest days across Ireland ahead of Budget 2013.
The site (www.usi.ie/standup) features information on the current cost of college. Students, parents and local businesses are encouraged to read the information specific to them and then select a TD or Senator from their constituency or near thier constituency and voice their opposition to any further fee increases and grant cuts.
Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has said that college fees will be €3,000 by 2015, despite signing a pledge not to increase fees. If he follows through on his intention to increase fees to €3,000 he’ll not only have broken his pledge to you, he’ll have increased the cost of college more than any Minister for Education since fees were abolished in 1996.
But that’s not all. The maintenance has been cut by 11% since Budget 2011. You also have to live 45km away from your institution to qualify for the non-adjacent rate. It used to be 24km.
Students in Ireland have been encouraged to stand up and be heard.
Hurricane Sandy hits Home
The devastation of Hurricane Sandy has hit home to Ireland. It has been reported that Conor and Brendan Moore aged four and two were washed away during the hurricane in Staten Island last week. The boys father Damien or originally from Co Donegal.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Father Philip Daly, a priest in the Donegal Parish of Portnoo, said everyone was devastated by the tragedy, which he said was hard to accept.
He described how Mrs Moore made valiant efforts to save her boys, however, her pleas for help fell on deaf ears.
"I think that what added to the awfulness of the situation was the lack of support.
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