Students protest over 'University of Limerick's lack of meaningful action' on accommodation issues

MEMBERS of UL Student Life are protesting over the ongoing student accommodation crisis this Thursday, on the first UL Open Day of the year. 

In an email sent to all University of Limerick students, president of UL Student Life, Ronan Cahill,  stated that “UL Student Life is protesting the university’s lack of meaningful action on the student accommodation crisis”.

Speaking on behalf of UL Student Life Executive, he went on to say; “Despite our consistent advocacy urging the university to explore every possible solution, we believe they are not addressing the issue with the urgency and care it deserves”.

UL Student Life organised the protest for the first of this year’s UL open days in order to “highlight the harsh reality” of the accommodation crisis to the thousands of secondary school students that will be visiting the campus.

The slogan for the protest, ‘Study at UL, but sleep on a couch’, is “a spin on the university’s own tagline” which is, Study at UL.

Tents were erected as part of the demonstration, to symbolise the ongoing student accommodation issues.

General election candidate for Limerick City, Fianna Fáil’s Dee Ryan, met with Ronan Cahill to discuss the issue.

Ms Ryan said: “From my meeting with Ronan Cahill, the president of ULSU, it is clear that planning for on-campus student accommodation must be prioritised by UL.”

She described the situation as “not tenable”, and emphasised that “The development of affordable on-campus student accommodation must be prioritised as a matter of urgency”.

“I am also advocating for further parking and transport facilities due to many students finding it necessary to drive to campus, because of the length of their commutes to college every day,” she added.

READ MORE: UL Student Life 'deeply disappointed' by handling of Limerick parking issue

This follows UL Student Life’s recent statement regarding parking challenges in UL and Castletroy, in which the student representatives expressed that they were “deeply disappointed by recent media coverage, unconstructive motions proposed by local councillors, and the general discourse that unfairly blames students for the ongoing parking issues”.

On the subject of accommodation, a spokesperson for UL said: “University of Limerick is very conscious of a shortage of student accommodation and is continuing to work together with government, our partners in Limerick and the wider sector nationally to find solutions to this issue”.

“Demand for student accommodation remains high and is consistent with last year,” the statement continued. “This has been exacerbated in recent years by a national housing shortage, a pattern of private landlords leaving the student rental market and a drop in ‘digs / homestay’ type accommodation.”

The spokesperson added that “UL has been working very hard to support students in their search for accommodation”.

“UL has worked with the other HEIs in Limerick, TUS and MIC, on awareness campaigns to encourage homeowners with empty bedrooms to consider letting out their rooms to students. The campaign began early this year calling for rooms right across the region in an effort to grow the inventory available in advance of term this year.”

The university also offers an Accommodation Service with “staff on hand to assist students with advice and information when securing accommodation for the upcoming academic year”.

The service has a designated off campus accommodation website called Studentpad which lists available off campus options.

According to the spokesperson, there are “112 rooms available in 89 properties”, at time of writing.

“There has been a significant increase in the available student, off campus, private landlord accommodation year on year to date.

“UL has a total of 2,930 student beds available in its on-campus accommodation offering. Accommodation at UL remains among the most affordable in the country and UL managed accommodation is available to almost 16% of the UL student population,” the statement concluded.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is also protesting in third level colleges across the country today, in the form of a walkout, to express “students’ frustration with the government’s inaction on the various crises impacting students”.

UL Student Life is not a member of USI.

UL Student Life stated: “While we are are holding our own demonstration and not directly participating in the walkout, we stand in full solidarity with the students nationwide”.