At 1pm on November 20, hundreds of health science (HS) students gathered in Front Square to protest what they called “years of mistreatment” by Trinity College Dublin and to demand better. The protest, organised by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), gained national media attention and earned support from the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
The demonstration came in the wake of the formation of the Health Sciences Action Group, which has gained almost 400 members in just one week.
The protest sought to combat a lack of financial support and subpar facilities for HS students. HS students lamented their placement conditions, remarking that placement often requires them to travel across the country with insufficient notice and inadequate financial support. They must pay for their own uniforms and additional vaccinations, even if they have a medical card. Students also feel the on-campus food options are unaffordable and the shower areas are not maintained to a good enough standard.
Protesters held signs that read “training us to leave”, “13 hour shifts, nothing to show” and “Australia looks good, right?”
USI President Chris Clifford and TCDSU President Jenny Maguire spoke at the protest, alongside multiple people from the HS department, including nurses and doctors.
In an open letter to the Health Science Executive, Provost Linda Doyle, and Vice Provost Orla Shiels, Maguire wrote that “the entire [health] sector relies on the exploitation of all workers, whether they be students, cleaners, doctors, specialists or anyone”.
She also listed the protesters’ principal demands. These include payment and financial support for all, support for uniform costs, cheaper food options on St James’ Hospital Campus, greater and equal support for postgraduates and undergraduates, accessibility to all teaching spaces, extending the library opening hours in James’ to 8am, maintenance of the shower facilities, and a serious review of mental health supports available to HS students and researchers.
The open letter compiled a collection of grievances aired by HS students and researchers. One such comment said that “the lack of support that we’re receiving now as students has made me fear what is to come in my future career as a nurse”.
Another comment added that “we are paying the same amount of fees as campus students, yet we only have a fraction of the facilities that they have. We don’t have a canteen, let alone a table to sit at for lunch. We are sitting on the floor in the corridor eating our packed lunches.”
