Student accommodation availability causing massive issue for students as return to college approaches
Government need to prioritise children safety in schools
People Before Profit- Solidarity said that they will be opposing the motion of confidence in the Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney TD for his role in the Katherine Zappone controversy, but more fundamentally, they will oppose the motion because they do not have confidence in the Government due to the ongoing crisis’ in Irish society.
Paul Murphy TD said: “We will oppose the motion of confidence in the Minister tonight because we feel this appointment amounts to a divvy up but, more fundamentally, we will be opposing this motion because we do not have confidence in this government to tackle the issues that prevail in Irish society- the housing crisis, the two tier health system, the unaffordable cost of living and the chronic issues of low pay for workers.”
The group also raised the issue of housing and particularly student accommodation.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD said: “Governments over the past ten years and particularly this government have failed to resolve the housing crisis which is evident on multiple fronts- lack of social housing, affordable housing and homelessness.
“One area in particular which has become evident over the last number of weeks is the provision of affordable student accommodation. Many students are facing a major crisis as they enter third level or return to third level because of a lack of affordable student accommodation. Many students are having to defer, having to sleep in hotels or on friends’ couches.
“This is for a young population who have been particularly badly affected by the Covid crisis. They have had to miss out on the in person/on campus experience. They have had to deal with the incredibly stressful leaving cert situation and the points race. Now many are faced with the acute crisis where they get into college but do not have anywhere affordable to live.
“We have a situation where we are building very expensive, privately run, for profit student accommodation and hotels, but we do not have the affordable student accommodation that we need.
“What is needed is for the state to provide subsidised affordable student accommodation and to control rents.”
Health spokesperson Gino Kenny TD said: “We are not satisfied with the level of Co2 monitors in schools. Reports in the Irish Examiner today point out that one school reports that they have three monitors for 28 rooms. This is not acceptable. The government needs to prioritise the procurement of Co2 monitors.”
Mick Barry TD, speaking on the America’s Cup and the funding of grassroots sport, said: “In my Cork constituency grassroots sports clubs are forced to fundraise for kit and young people are forced to queue for a year to access mental health services. The Government can’t spend €150m on an international yacht race and then refuse to spend money on grassroots sport and mental health. Our kids and our communities are not going to go to the back of the queue.”