Students at Cork MTU campus to stage walkout protest over cost of living

Students at Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus are to hold a walkout protest tomorrow to highlight concerns around the cost of living for third-level students.

MTU Students’ Union is asking students to walk out of classes from 12pm, and gather for a peaceful demonstration outside the MTU Bishopstown Library.

The students are calling for the Government to take urgent action on the issues of the affordability crisis, sustainable higher education funding, cost-of-living supports, and the lack of student accommodation.

Cian McGrath, president of the MTU Students’ Union, told The Echo that the walkout aims to show that students have had enough and are “fed up” with being seen as “third-class citizens”.

Not enough accommodation

“I have been involved with the students’ union for a number of years,” he said. 

“I have seen it myself; it seems like we’re getting more and more commuter students because there isn’t enough student accommodation places for them. If there are spaces, then it is too expensive and they can’t afford it.

“Then you see the rising cost of fuel and the rising cost of public transport as well. So it just seems like students are getting hit from every single direction.”

He said that the Higher Education Authority and the Government need to invest in students.

“It’s been stated and bragged about so many times that Irish graduates are some of the best in the world,” he said.

“So we are just hoping for better treatment of students.

“We are hoping for something to come into place, so that students are not having to choose whether they are going to eat or be able to head home.

“A lot of students have come to us saying that they have had to make decisions — whether they are going to shop and get food, or they are going to save that money, so they can travel home.”