Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Council has this evening voted to adopt two motions taking formal positions on issues relating to the student accommodation system.
Council voted to adopt a formal opposition to rent increases and to oppose rent increases when they are brought to college committees that the union’s sabbatical officers sit on.
The motion implied that the union had already taken efforts to oppose rent increases but that the position had not been formalised in a mandate voted by Council.
TCDSU President Laura Beston proposed the motion stating the union “has a history of opposing rent increases”.
Council also voted for a separate motion to mandate the union to lobby the government to invest in publicly funded purpose-built accommodation and lobby for the implementation of legislation to financially protect students living in such accommodation.
The motion noted that in the accommodation crisis “students struggle to find affordable accommodation” and cited a report from Daft.ie which calculated the average rent in Dublin City centre as ranging between €1,589 and €1,846 per month.
Both motions were proposed by TCDSU President Laura Beston who spoke at Council in favour of each.
Earlier in the evening, Council voted to support the Cut the Rent movement who have encouraged students living in college-operated student accommodation to take part in a rent strike unless their demands are met.
TCDSU Council took place this evening in the Stanley Quek lecture theatre of the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI).
Additional reporting by Patrick Coyle.
