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Trinity College Dublin Alamy Stock Photo

Students gave us their take on Harris's time at Higher Ed (and what they make of his promotion)

The lack of accommodation was unsurprisingly the main talking point for students.

IN JUST UNDER two weeks, at 37 years of age, Simon Harris is set to become the youngest Taoiseach this country has ever seen. 

The Taoiseach-to-be’s use of social media has meant he has successfully fostered a level of name recognition other members of the Oireachtas could only dream of.

It has also, unsurprisingly, opened the door to him (rather unfortunately) being dubbed the ‘TikTok Taoiseach’ in some quarters.

We wanted to know what young people think about the soon-to-be leader of the country and if he really has been as impactful on TikTok with young people as we think.

So, The Journal hit Trinity College this week to chat to students. Here’s what they told us.

‘I see him all the time’

Ellen, a Sociology and Irish student in Trinity told The Journal that, in her view, Simon Harris is the most well-known politician.

“I see him all the time, he’s always on my TikTok,” she said.

Spoiler: this was a sentiment repeated by all of the students we spoke to.

When asked what she thinks about him becoming Taoiseach, Ellen said she got the impression that no one really wanted the job after Leo Varadkar announced he was stepping down and that Simon Harris was the most obvious choice. 

Does she think his age means that he is best placed to understand and fix the problems facing young people? 

“Maybe.

He seems to have an interest in listening to what younger people want and I’ve noticed that he tries to be cool and down with the kids – so maybe.

“I don’t know if he will actually pull through but I think that would be his aim,” Ellen said.

Harris has been Minister for Further and Higher Education for almost four years now. 

When asked what impact he has had in this role, all of the students The Journal spoke to said it was the reduction in fees that stands out most to them.

Following last year’s Budget, Minister Harris announced that third-level students would be reimbursed €1,000 of their student contribution fee for the academic year. 

On top of this, Ellen said her view was that more generally she feels he has tried to make it easier for people to go to college and third level education.

On the flip side, when asked what areas they would like to see more support from the Government in, all of the students The Journal spoke to said housing. 

Accommodation crisis

Sophia, who is a Political Science and Sociology student, told us that she lives in private student accommodation and pays €1100 a month in rent.

Ellen pays the same and added: “We’ve both in a privileged situation where we are able to pay for that but I don’t know how other people do it”.

“We’re sharing a kitchen with 8 people,” Ellen said. 

“And we don’t have a dishwasher… My walls aren’t done…I can hear my neighbour all the time, snoring next door,” Sophia added. 

Darragh, an engineering student, told The Journal that he commutes from Navan every day – which takes about an hour and fifteen minutes each way. 

He said he lived in Dublin for his first year of college but had to move back home because of the cost. For him, the fee reduction brought in by Harris has been a big help.  

Another group of three students that we spoke to, who prefered not to share their names, told us that they get the impression that Simon Harris actually cares about students. 

All three students commute to college and said housing is the biggest problem for them at the moment.

One of the three, an English student, commutes from Greystones – in Simon Harris’ constituency. 

“He used to come to my school. He would have come to my secondary school in Bray. He just seems lovely,” he said. 

He added: “He has quite a presence online.”

“I like the way he is one of the only people saying the Leaving Cert isn’t the only route. He always talks about apprenticeships and saying that the [Leaving Certificate] points system is useless,” one of the young women said. 

Her friend added: “I don’t know many politicians but he is one of the only ones I know.”

“I think he comes across well meaning and I think it is good to have someone young going into the job,” she said. 

Despite all of the praise for Harris, the conversation turned to the shortage of housing again. 

Her friend, who is an Art History student, said that she knows that if she wants to do a masters after her undergraduate degree that she will have to do it abroad because of the housing crisis. 

“I couldn’t afford to live here. I live at home now but if I didn’t live at home I wouldn’t be able to study in Dublin,” she said.

‘Prices are insane’

Dara, a medicine student, and Eimear, an engineering student are both in the third year of their studies.

Like the others we spoke to, housing is the big challenge facing them at the moment. 

Eimear also said she wants to see more done to make certain educational pathways – like engineering – more accessible, particularly for women and girls. 

“I went to an all girls school and I felt like it wasn’t really promoted. I wasn’t made aware of grants and that sort of thing, which probably comes down to counsellors in school,” she said. 

Both Eimear and Dara have moved out of their family homes to attend college. 

Dara said: “Last year it was a big stress trying to find where to live. You’re just trawling through Daft and there’s nothing.

Prices are insane and no one wants to rent to students either.”

The two students shared a room last year in a two-bedroom house with friends in Rathmines, just outside the city centre. 

They paid €500 each per month to share the room with bills on top of this.

“I wouldn’t even call it a house to be honest,” Dara said.

On whether Simon Harris gets the challenges facing young people, the pair agreed with each other “maybe more than other candidates”. 

“I wouldn’t be hugely into politics, but I always see him on social media,” Dara said.

On what she makes of the videos: “I appreciate the effort he makes to stay in tune with the younger generation.” 

Eimear added that she likes how he makes himself accessible to younger people and that he takes the mystery out of politics. 

It’s clear that Harris’ use of social media has paid dividends for him, but whether he will now be able to deliver for these students in his new job, time will tell. 

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32 Comments
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    Mute Diarmuid Lucey
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    Dec 17th 2016, 10:35 PM

    It’s people like Margaret that should be Lord Mayors, ambassadors and/or politicians of our city and not the fickle people that are appointed these roles due to “Ill scratch your back if you’ll scratch mine” politics.

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    Mute William Flynn
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    Dec 17th 2016, 10:25 PM

    How can I help on the day? I would love to get involved.

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    Mute Eye_c_u
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    Dec 17th 2016, 10:30 PM

    Well would you not do smart thing and call instead of a meaningless post?

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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Dec 17th 2016, 11:48 PM

    Me too, you can contact me trough Facebook…….

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    Mute Anthony Dowling
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    Dec 18th 2016, 9:25 AM

    @Eye_c_u: Maybe with that sort of post you should be looking at yourself, shame on you turning a positive post negative, Joke of a human :(

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    Mute Anthony Dowling
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    Dec 18th 2016, 9:38 AM

    @Eye_c_u: I think you should be looking at yourself, turning a positive post into negative. Sad person for sure . Shame

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    Mute sparky
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    Dec 17th 2016, 10:41 PM

    This a great idea, bringing people together, people that have lost that magic feeling Christmas should bring. Unfortunately for some of us that magic has been robbed from us, Christmas becomes a time of isolation, it becomes a time of the year that seems to last forever. I never thought i would say I hate Christmas but this is my third one now, just dreading going to town, seeing all the wonders of it but feeling like someone just looking on as a spectator . I’m working this Christmas for the first time ever, it doesn’t bother me too much, I know my family have my best interests at heart inviting me to their homes, but when the person who created the magic is gone well then it’s all gone..

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    Mute RiainOg
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    Dec 17th 2016, 10:51 PM

    @ Sparky, hold onto that strength. I know it can be difficult at times, especially this time of year and any other time of the year. Your a hero in your family’s eyes for the battle that you face. Stay strong!

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 17th 2016, 11:10 PM

    @sparky: you should try take up the offer from your family … i know you probably don’t feel up to it but it’ll be better than staying on your own , you might be glad of the company .

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    Mute sparky
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    Dec 17th 2016, 11:13 PM

    @RiainOg thanks for that, obviously some people think I’m trolling but all I can say to the reds is I hope this pain is never going to enter your lives.

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    Mute sparky
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    Dec 17th 2016, 11:27 PM

    @ Suzie sunshine, I’ve opted to work Christmas day, it’s so hard to explain what the sudden loss of someone does to you unless you experience it.Even now it still feels like yesterday, I loved Alice” most of the time” like there was no tomorrow, tomorrow never came and I will always think of that day. I should have always loved Alice like there was no tomorrow. I just miss Alice so F## king much.

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    Mute RiainOg
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    Dec 17th 2016, 11:31 PM

    @ Sparky, I dont, and many others dont think your trolling, you are opening up a discussion, that many tend to hide. It is incredibly brave for you to share your opinion, emotions, and feelings, no matter how small or big they may be. Everybody has pain, regardless if its emotional or physical, we all fight it in our own way. Whats important is we dont have to do it alone.

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    Mute Denise Daly
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:09 PM

    Totally understand you Sparky. It’s not the Christmas tree and presents but the people in our lives.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Dec 17th 2016, 11:19 PM

    Ditto. It’s people like this should be mayors etc. Meanwhile, i saw tanaiste Francis Fitzgerald in o’donoghue’s pub earlier, in all her glitzy glamour, totally looked like an overpaid politician. Our politicians are a disgrace.

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    Mute (((Jason)))
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:06 AM

    Politicians aren’t allowed to get dressed up and have a pint?

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    Mute Adrian
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:13 AM

    Exactly. Not supposed to look like liza minelli without the talent or capability for their job. Otherwise they’d be just fraudsters!

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    Mute Christine Hanway
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    Dec 17th 2016, 10:56 PM

    Another example of the ordinary folk looking after the people of this country… It’s a pity we have to make the goverments job so easy.. they brush these issues under the rug instead of facing them and putting solutions in place. They can decorate their figures all they like the reality is they can’t be half arsed to do their job and it’s the people left doing the work for them! But in another light the generosity of the country of late esp for this time of year has been amazing and I think we should be proud of ourselves. We have really stepped up the mark with donations and helping appeals, ive witnessed it all first had fair play to all participating no matter how big or small your contribution it’s going a long way this year!

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    Mute Francid Dooley
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:22 AM

    Well I’m an old chap living in a small village , and no one is offering me a dinner.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:42 AM

    You will not see any TD’s from the main political parties at that lunch. More shame them.

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    Mute Jay Gan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:47 AM

    @Kerry Blake: if they did attend you would have people slating them for only showing up for media opportunity etc etc plus there will be thousands of those dinners on Christmas day right throughout the country. This won’t be the only one

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:00 AM

    @Jay Gan: Again no TD’s from the main stream political parties will show up for this. I wonder who they represent……

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:15 AM

    Kerry , they’d only spoil it for others if they showed up .. Sure who’d want them there !

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    Mute Joey Westland
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    Dec 17th 2016, 10:57 PM

    This is a wonderful idea, and this woman is an absolute credit to us all.

    I do think though, that as each year goes by, the whole ‘celebration’ of Christmas has become an increasing burden on people, financially, in terms of expectations, how forced it is and the pressure put on people by retailers. Not to mention the overt religious associations involved in it that exclude tens of thousands of people living in Ireland.

    As a maturing people we are not far off casting this seasonal facade aside, however I fear it will be with us for quite a while yet.

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    Mute Jay Gan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:53 AM

    @Joey Westland: Christmas is not forced on anyone, nobody is forced to buy things for the sake of it, it’s down to each individual what they CHOOSE to do. If they choose to by expensive presents then that’s down to the individual not the shops. Religion does not exclude anyone, again it’s down to an individual if they want to take part in something, lastly the woman who organised this dinner is a credit to her family and that is all.. Not a credit to you nor me or anyone else for that Matter just her family.. If you don’t like this time of year well I guess it’s BAH HUMBUG for you

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    Mute Joey Westland
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    Dec 18th 2016, 3:47 AM

    @Jay Gan: ‘Christmas is not forced on anyone’ LOL! I’d love to live in your parallel universe!

    I already said this woman is a credit, so your point is moot.

    Ignorance is bliss they say, so enjoy it!

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    Mute Jay Gan
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    Dec 18th 2016, 1:45 AM

    To those who are posting about helping under a news report, why post here saying you’d want to help.. Common sense would say contact the organisers instead of just leaving a post under a news report

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 18th 2016, 2:13 AM

    That’s because usually the person who gave the interview for the article will also read the comments ..

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    Mute Joey Westland
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    Dec 18th 2016, 3:49 AM

    @Suzie Sunshine: I would hope that nobody reads your comments.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 18th 2016, 9:18 AM

    Joey Westland. . The resident bully ..

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    Mute Dan Henry
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    Dec 18th 2016, 12:02 PM

    Margaret you should be a saint the likes of the TDS sitting on their fat holes at Christmas they won’t even think of people alone or down at Christmas shame on them!!

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    Mute June Rose-Sommer
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    Dec 19th 2016, 4:12 PM

    Thank God for people like Margaret!! Heart still intact!! God bless you Margaret and all others like you. You have my deepest respect.

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    Mute Paul Hussey
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    Dec 17th 2016, 10:25 PM

    Well done on your fantastic hard work

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