Eyre Square sleep out in protest at accommodation crisis

STUDENTS will sleep out in the centre of Galway City this week to highlight and protest against the lack of student accommodation in the county.

The protest, organised by the University of Galway Students’ Union, will meet at the Quadrangle building at 3.30pm on Tuesday (September 1) and make its way towards Eyre Square where the students will set up camp for the night.

The union is calling on the Government and the University to come up with urgent solutions for the huge number of Galway students who have no accommodation ahead of the new academic term starting next Monday (September 7).

Students’ Union President at University of Galway Sean de Búrca believes students are among the worst affected by the housing crisis.

“We have students commuting for up to seven hours a day, paying extortionate rent, sleeping on friends' couches or living in hostels. This is the result of years of a lack of Government action,” said Mr de Búrca.

“It's not acceptable to expect students to put up with such a dire state of housing. We are calling for affordable student accommodation, digs legislation, and for our public representatives to finally start taking this issue seriously,” he explained.

Students’ Union Vice President/ Welfare and Equality Officer Molly Hickey said that they are getting hundreds of emails and phone calls every day from students and their families who are desperately seeking housing.

“It’s heart breaking to hear the circumstances that students are finding themselves in. There’s also been an increase in accommodation fraud which is adding to this nightmare situation,” she continued.