USI has announced that it plans to organise a mass walkout of students in colleges across the country on October 13.
The national students’ union intend the walkout to be a protest against the current accommodation and cost of living crises which are affecting students.
Speaking to Virgin Media News, USI Vice President for Campaigns Ross Boyd said: “It’s the worst it’s ever been and only looks like it’s going to get worse.”
He continued: “We need to see significant price reductions and especially looking at rent caps and a rent freeze specifically.”
Boyd also said that “ensuring that the rent-a-room scheme is only a temporary solution” was a key aim, and called for “affordable purpose-built student accommodation” to be built instead.
In a statement on Twitter, Boyd added: “Students are sick of the same old crises of high rent, high fees, high cost barriers.”
He continued that the message of the walkout will be to say “enough is enough”.
Recent weeks have seen numerous reports of students unable to secure accommodation for college as the beginning of the academic year approaches.
Last week, Provost Linda Doyle described the accommodation issue as a “real crisis situation” and called for urgent and long-term solutions to the crisis to be implemented.
University College Dublin Students’ Union (UCDSU) last week organised a “Digs Drive” campaign, appealing for members of the public to privately rent rooms to students. Members of the union stood at Luas stops throughout the day handing out leaflets urging people to rent rooms to students.
