The President of the University of Galway has said the institution is “frustrated and angry” due to rising rents and accommodation shortages for students.
Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh took the rare step of joining the Students’ Union in a protest against the student accommodation crisis on Wednesday September 28.
Speaking as the protest got underway, he said his decision to join the march was something of an “atonement” and an acknowledgment of accountability to the younger generation.
“In many ways my generation voted for policies which have created this situation and the student generation are affected by it.”
The University President standing alongside students as they marched from the Quadrangle to Eyre Square underlined the seriousness of the issue for not just students, but the University itself.
The President said it was important for he and the institution as a whole to stand in solidarity with students.
“I want to stand with our students … it’s really important for the University when the student experience is undermined by issues such as accommodation.
“We’re saying now that enough is enough and let’s do something about it. We’re very frustrated and very angry that this is now a barrier to access for students,” he said.
Professor Ó hÓgartaigh said that the University must be part of the solution as wider society works together to tackle the accommodation crisis.
He said that the University plans to complete the construction of 680 new apartments in Dangan and is looking at options for further builds on and off campus.
The Students’ Union protest was an all-night affair as demonstrators slept out in tents in Eyre Square.
The march from campus was attended by over 50 people while dozens joined in the city centre sleepout.
