ACROSS the country students will unite tomorrow (Tuesday October 1st) to fight for their future. The nationwide “Fight for Your Future Now” demonstrations are taking place today against potential cuts to the maintenance grant in the upcoming October Budget 2014. The demonstrations will take place on the same day in three regional locations; Dublin, Cork and Sligo. Thousands of students will join together with one collective voice to express their frustration against any additional cuts to the Maintenance Grant and further Higher Education austerity.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) warned the Government last week, that students are ready to demonstrate their electoral power in the upcoming Seanad referendum. With voter registration drives underway on campuses across the country, USI expect to have 10,000 students registered on the Student Elector Registration Database (SERD) by polling day on October 4th. With the Budget fast approaching, students across the country are preparing to fight the rumored 100 million euro cuts to education. Students are mobilising their voting power via SERD, and more cuts will be met with targeted voting ahead of next year’s Local and European Elections. Students and their families are tired of being targeted in the budget and want their voices to be heard. It is imperative for the Government to listen now and have the cost of college top of the agenda when making Budgetary decisions. Fighting for the future of students now is crucial to the economic recovery of Ireland.
USI President Joe O Connor says: “The maintenance grant has been hit in 4 consecutive Budgets, the cost of college continues to spiral upwards, and hard-pressed students and families have now very much reached breaking point. Students from all across the country are gathering in 3 regional locations today as one united voice- To send a message that any continued targeting of our most vulnerable members will be met with firm resistance. Higher Education is not public spending- it is public investment. It is high time for the Government to prioritise and protect this investment, as it is crucial to our economy’s recovery and our country’s future.”
Students from all regions will be uniting together in the following locations: DUBLIN: Molesworth Street, Dublin 4pm, CORK: UCC – March into Cork City 1pm, and SLIGO: IT Sligo – March to Stephen Street 1.30pm.
Speakers will include: Joe O’ Connor USI President, Regional USI VPs, Students’ Union Presidents and Member Unions nationwide.
For more information contact USI Communications & Research Executive Grainne O’Reilly on 087-6776636, or 01-9052100