3rd level students in Tipperary have staged a protest over the lack of accommodation and the rising cost of living.
Students across the country walked out of their classes at 11.11am this morning in a demonstration organised by the Union of Students in Ireland.
The lack of affordable accommodation locally has seen some students sleeping in their cars, while many say the cost of living and increasing energy costs are compounding the issue.
Organiser of the walkout at the TUS campus in Clonmel, Kyran Keogh says students are finding it increasingly difficult to get an education.
“The government have not been providing the proper funding or accommodations or anything like that. Tenants are not protected when students are renting buildings and things like that, digs accommodation we’re not protected whatsoever.
“There are a lot of situations where we’re put in between a rock and a hard place where it’s like if you want to face a several hour long commute or you want to pay extortionate amounts of rent and that’s only if you’re lucky enough to find a house in the first place. There is no housing, there is so many people who are living out of their cars.”
Students are also calling for purpose-built student accommodation in Tipperary to help alleviate the issues they are facing.
“There is no purpose built student accommodation, it is all off landlords backs. There are several locations that could be utilised for student accommodation, the Marketplace has been decrepit for years now and should be transformed some degree into student accommodation, we’ve got the gym being built up there that could be used as student accommodation.
“There are so many places around Clonmel that could be marketed for student accommodation but at the end of the day, none of it is being used and we are forced to rely on people to open up their houses.”
