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THE FINE GAEL TD whose offices are being occupied by several Maynooth students in a protest against cuts to third-level grants and increased fees says he does not want to see the group get into trouble over their actions.
The students have spent a night in the office after entering it yesterday afternoon equipped with sleeping bags and enough food to last a week.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Deputy Anthony Lawlor said that there were a few gardaí at the scene of the occupation, but that he wasn’t calling on them to evict the protesters.
“Listen, they’re students – the last thing I want is to get them in any sort of trouble because something like this could affect their career,” he said.
Lawlor said he was taken aback by the protest occupation because he had met with students at Maynooth recently to discuss their concerns. Asked if he was considering the students’ demands on preventing fee increases and grant cuts, the TD said that he would not be negotiating with the group currently occupying his office because “there’s a time and a place” for holding talks, and this isn’t it.
The students told TheJournal.ie yesterday that they want Lawlor to commit to the Fine Gael party’s manifesto on education, which the students say outlines a pledge not to hike fees.
The Maynooth Students’ Union president Rob Munnelly said they felt compelled to undertake the occupation after their previous efforts to lobby TDs failed. He said the group would continue its occupation until the campaign succeeds or “the gardaí drag us out by force”.
Lawlor said that the protest have made him mindful of increasing office security for his staff:
The only concern I had yesterday was when they rushed into the office and my staff members got a bit of a shock initially as [the students] didn’t identify themselves until they were all in there. That makes me concerned for the future too, that I’d have to put security cameras in there, which I don’t want to do, but the last thing I want either is for the staff to feel upset or threatened.
Lawlor also said he spoke briefly to the group last night when the students passed on a message to him from a constituent who was trying to get in touch with him.
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good move, the whole point of the protest is to be seen being dragged out by the gardai, it gives the students union cred. they will soon get bored and smely and go home for a shower and a night out
Yeah well at least they’re bloody well doing something instead if sitting at home typing out a load of negative rubbish. Armchair critics. FairPlay students.
less negativity jaynie, Is it better to stand up while typing?
That’s back fired on the students it seems.
it wont be a patch on the backfiring if they are left in there for a week with that chemical dunny
Fair play to the TD. He seems to actually care for people in his area and knows that making criminals of peaceful protesters is pointless and harmful. Having the protesters arrested won’t help anyone, will cost the state thousands to prosecute and could hurt the students lives.
Surly the TD can run his clinics in a different office until the budget when the students will leave the office as they will of lost their campaign.
Don’t agree with the students message of free fees for everyone, but fair play for standing up and having their voice heard.
So he’s now consenting to the occupation of his office? If he does object, then they are trespassers and are liable to be prosecuted (and lose the opportunity of a US visa) The gardai don’t have to wait for someone to “press charges” to act if a criminal offence is being committed.
It’s not a criminal act if he consent’s to them being there, it’s his office
Cut off the heating to the office, see how long they last then!
I tell ya, the budget will come, fees probably won’t be raised and then they’ll leave in embarrassment.
live blog from inside the office at catholicmaynooth.wordpress.com
hope the rosary is getting a blast
Hey, what about the students that went before you who had to pay fees? Was that fair to them? Was it Fianna Fail that scrapped them? They shouldn’t have bothered scrapping fees when times were good.
this is about labour youth bringing pressure to bear outside of cabinet
Pressure ! ROTFLMAO
Well, about 0.5 bar.
have your say