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THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS took to the streets of Dublin yesterday calling for more funding and support for third-level education.
They came from far and wide to march alongside their peers, voicing anger over a proposed student loan scheme and chanting that they wanted free education.
We caught up with some to get their views on some of the most important issues today.
Name: Philip Shanahan
College: Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT)
Age: 31
Course: Video and sound technology (mature student)
“If there was a loan scheme in place I would not be able to go to college. I would not be able to go out and better myself.”
I think education should be free. I think when it comes to putting a quote on things it just never works. If fees were to come in fewer students would be going to college definitely.
“If there was a loan scheme coming in, I would not be able to get that opportunity.”
“I think it’s a deterrent for education, and if there are fewer people going to colleges it means fees will go up.”
A certain element of college needs to be run as a business. There has to be some way of getting students in the door to pay for equipment and classes and lectures, the whole lot
“But what’s going to happen is, if there are fewer people coming in they’re just going to jack up the prices.”
Name: Naoise McHugh
College: Dublin City University (DCU)
Age: 21
Course: Multimedia
“I’m here because my parents were able to afford to send me to college; I’m here because I’d like to not leave college with massive debt.”
“I’ve had a lucky background and even so I’d be leaving college with huge amounts of debt.”
If at my level of privilege I can’t handle that much debt, how is someone who’s less well off coming out? They’re not coming out at all possibly.
“Education should absolutely be free. It’s vital, it’s a fundamental human right, it’s how we build a better society.”
We can’t make a better world, or have a recovery, or progress if we don’t have free education.
Name: Holly Martin
College: National University Ireland Galway (NUIG)
Course: Speech and language therapy
Age: 19
“People came out to us last week and said there’s a rally on, are you interested?”
“We said ‘what is it all about?’ It was the first time we had heard about the student loans.”
“So we did a bit of research, bought a ticket for the bus and here we are.”
I think the student loan idea is ridiculous. You’re going to be paying four grand every year – that’s €20,000 minimum. You’ve got rent, accommodation on top of that and then all your extra living costs.
“I think it’s absolute rubbish.”
“Education should be free. Keep the system as it is now if there’s no way of improving it – just keep it for now.”
If you stop people going to third level then you’re not going to develop as a country.
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Can I have my money back now
It’s like’…..burning your furniture – to keep warm!
Why are PwC saying this instead of IBRC and NAMA?
As property prices start to rise nama , ibrc start to dump property
Can someone explain why?
Dumping loans philip, not property. They’re Dumping the loans as they’re non-performing and want to get them off the balance sheet.
If they had the patience, they’d put arrangements in place to allow the properties to return to positive equity and then seek a sale, this recouping more of the tax payers money.
Unfortunately, they’ll sell the loans for a discount and allow the new purchasers to do this and net a tidy profit.
The article outlines that IBRC (IBROKE would probably be a better name) will offload € 15 billion in loans.
Yet the linked article tells us that IBROKE have already offloaded 90% of its loanbook, € 19.8 billion out of € 21.7 billion leaving just € 1.9 billion on hand.
This can only mean, if the previous article is correct, that it is NAMA that is offloading the majority of the loans.
Why the subterfuge?
Why make people think that this is some kind of joint enterprise when it is NAMA that is leading the charge?
Have the shiny suit brigade from the canal something to hide?
Given their obsession with secrecy it would not surprise me if they have, perhaps selling the loans to some preferred customer with an inside track at a serious discount.
The way things go it will all be wrapped up before we know anything, plus ça change.
Who in their right mind would buy this junk?
It might only be worth 30% of face value but if you buy it for 20% it’s a good deal. For the buyer anyway.
@ Irish Revolution
The Banks?
Hedge funds bought it. They will now sell off all the ghost estates etc at a lower price so people that have houses for sale at the min will eventually have to sell for half or take them off the market.
Fab house here in drogheda asking price €325. Hilarious. You could now nearly get a house for that on raglan road or ailsbury road!! So that house is realistically worth less than €150 really.
People and notions ha
What about Bank of Scotland selling on my mortgage & others in their Irish portfolio to a company called Tanager Ltd.
I’m in a tizzy all day because I don’t know what it means for us.
have your say