Around 30 people attended a UCDSU housing protest by the Main Lake at 1pm, as they called on UCD to “cut the rents” for on-campus accommodation.
Around 30 people attended a UCDSU housing protest by the Main Lake at 1pm, as they called on UCD to “cut the rents” for on-campus accommodation.
UCDSU President Miranda Bauer recently sent a formal request to the University Management Team (UMT) to cut the rents on campus, and bring the average cost of rent on campus down from €1,000 to the national average of €890, alongside other demands. UMT denied the request, prompting the SU to start a petition that has so far gathered over 800 signatures, alongside an awareness campaign of the poor conditions in UCD accommodation, in the lead up to the protest today.
The SU campaign makes comparisons between UCD campus accommodation and campus accommodation in other Irish universities, stating that it takes 68 hours of minimum wage work to pay rent in Belgrove, compared to 37 hours in University College Cork (UCC), Dublin City University (DCU), and University of Limerick (UL).
The protest began with chants led by SU President Miranda Bauer: “Orla Feely in your mansion, we demand housing action”, “highest rent in the nation, it’s greed not inflation”, “UCD we got beef, cut the rents, don’t be a thief”, and “no more mould, no more mice, clean housing is a right.”
Key speakers at the protest included USI President Chris Clifford, UCDSU President Miranda Bauer, UCDSU Welfare Officer Ciara Donohue, South Dublin Renters Solidarity Network member Jack McNicholl, and UCD student organiser Aoife McGowan.
Donohue spoke of the “students with disabilities who already face disappropriate financial barriers, they’re told to just find a way to pay more. This university is not protecting them, it is actively pushing them out.” She said, “Let’s be clear, this is a choice. UCD is sitting on millions in revenue. It has the means to cut the rents, to support its students, but it prioritises profit over education. Instead, it is committed to this trend of making access to education that bit harder.”
Donohue called on UCD to issue an “immediate rent freeze on on-campus accommodation, and a commitment from UCD to genuinely support students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, not just in words but in action.” She concluded by stating “this is our university, and we will not let it push us out. Cut the rents and support your students.”
Clifford spoke of the rising cost of student accommodation over the last decade, and the students forced to couch surf, or sleep in cars and tents. He said that the student accommodation in UCD was supposed to fix these issues, and give students a stress free student experience. Instead, he stated this is hindered by UCD, that “they reckon that you can afford the pinch, and they want to maximise the return on their investment. This comes as the minister threatens to cut back on student supports and hike up your fees. When push comes to shove, they will always choose to squeeze students harder and harder. These increases are shameful, and you are right to fight them.”