By Nicole Glennon<\/p>\n
The University of Limerick Student Union are asking students to attend a demonstration to ask for an increase in government funding of third-level education in Dublin this Wednesday the 19th of October.<\/p>\n
A bus will leave the Library Drop-off area for Dublin at 8am and return to UL in the afternoon. You can sign up at the ULSU Reception and pay a \u20ac5 deposit which will be refunded upon return to the University. <\/p>\n
It is hoped around 5,000 students will attend the demonstration entitled \u2018Education Is\u2019, including UL, UCD and members of the Union of Students Ireland (USI).<\/p>\n
According to President of UL\u2019s Student Union, Sarah Dunphy, students are demonstrating to ask the government to take the funding of third-level education \u201cseriously.\u201d Ms. Dunphy believes third-level education is currently \u201cphenomenally underfunded\u201d and the \u20ac36.5 million allocated to higher education in the recent Budget is not sufficient. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was said before that we needed a \u20ac100 million to keep it at a stand stead,\u201d the ULSU President explained, adding that it is \u201cnot functioning hugely successfully as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also explained that in spite of students\u2019 increase in fees in recent years only a portion of this money was put directly back into higher education: \u201cIt went into the government pot [of money] and they took some of it and put it back into higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when we call for reduced fees they\u2019re going to cut it from higher education even though we\u2019ve paid. We want to scrap that and ask for public funding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently, Irish third-level fees at \u20ac3,000 annually are some of the highest in Europe, second only to the UK. <\/p>\n
The Cassells report into third-level education funding which was released in July 2016 suggested three main solutions to the third-level funding crisis. These solutions include an entirely state-funded system, another suggested an increase in state funding but the continuation of student fees, while the third suggested an increase in state funding but a deferral of the payment of fees to income-contingent loans. <\/p>\n
Ms. Dunphy explains that the income-contingent loan solution would mean a student could leave university with a loan of \u20ac20,000 or more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problem is they\u2019re basing this model on the American one but American students owe like one trillion in loans.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ULSU President recommends the Irish government instead look to Germany and France\u2019s third-level funding model where students pay approximately \u20ac200 or \u20ac300, with the rest state-funded. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey are at the top of the Irish Times Higher Education list in International rankings and all the Irish Universities have dropped this year bar one,\u201d Ms. Dunphy pointed out. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to tell the government that we need funding for Higher Level Education and we need to look at a viable solution and that is for the government to publicly fund higher education \u2013 because we are suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Dunphy emphasised the importance of the protest, \u201cWe understand that people may have mid-terms and things and what not but we really want people that can go to make noise, to show representation from the University of Limerick. We\u2019re giving you the opportunity to use your voice and we\u2019re asking people to take this opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they don\u2019t take it, they can\u2019t go and complain about fees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Welfare Officer Caolan O\u2019Donnell agrees, \u201cIf you don\u2019t go to the rally you can\u2019t say sh*t if our fees go up because you didn\u2019t fight against it. You can b*tch and moan in a years\u2019 time but you\u2019ve the opportunity now to go and make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Academic Officer Donal Foley agrees with President Dunphy and Officer O\u2019Donnell that the importance of the demonstration can\u2019t be underestimated but added that it will be a bit of fun too, \u201cWhy don\u2019t people want to go? It\u2019s a protest, it\u2019s a bit of craic!\u201d<\/p>\n