Thousands of students are facing a summer of despair because of the lack of affordable accommodation, it was warned today.



The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) urged all political parties fighting the general election to commit to tackling the potential crisis.



It wants the next government to set up a taskforce on student accommodation that will deal with the dearth of low-rent houses.



USI President Colm Hamrogue said there was a towering mismatch between supply and demand.



"Ireland is already a byword for unaffordable accommodation, but a worsening of the affordable accommodation crisis would spell chaos for students already struggling to cope," he said.



"Many colleges schedule end-of-semester exams in the weeks either side of the General Election, so after that it won't be long before demand for affordable rented accommodation peaks.



"This means the next government will have only weeks to act, at most."



Mr Hamrogue suggested the problem will be further exacerbated as student accommodation designated under the Section 50 scheme returns to the open market in the coming years.



"USI is calling on all parties to pledge their support for the establishment of a government taskforce to investigate solutions to the student housing problem," he said.

4 May 2007



The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has warned that “historically unprecedented” levels of public support have “raised the stakes” on gay marriage as a General Election issue.



Last Wednesday (2nd May), RTÉ’s Prime Time1 highlighted the inequality experienced by same-sex couples. Commenting, USI said the programme revealed a need for urgent action to allay the uncertainty that exists for children in same-sex parent families. The difficulties facing gay couples in which one partner is a non-EEA national were also highlighted.



USI called on all the political parties and candidates to “re-prioritise” their commitment to equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.



Candidates must pledge new same-sex Marriage and Gay Adoption rights, USI said, or “bear responsibility for causing voter cynicism”.



USI gay and lesbian spokesperson Steven Conlon said: “The level of public support for absolute gay equality is historically unprecedented. It betokens an adamant desire by Irish voters to see the next government stand at the forefront of the global equality movement by legislating for same-sex marriage and gay adoption.



“Public attitudes have shifted dramatically in the direction of human rights, and the 30th Dáil is an opportunity for Ireland at last to recognise those innate rights in all its citizens.



“Successive Governments have failed to protect the human rights of gay couples in this country. Such failure does not protect families. Furthermore, the absence of progress on adoption and inheritance legislation has ensured the continued vulnerability of children in same-sex parent families.



“USI is throwing down the gauntlet for all the political parties to step up to their duty as public representatives to affirm the human rights of all Irish.”



Colm Hamrogue, President of USI said: “Voters indicate a real unwillingness to support any government or candidate that ignores the basic human rights of family members and friends. Voters won’t stand for it. Gay, lesbian and bisexual people are our brothers, sisters, friends, and even our mothers and fathers.



“USI is urging voters to ask hard and pressing questions of candidates when it comes to the advancement of equality in this country.”

30 April 2007

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has warned that for young people not yet registered to vote “Today [Tuesday] is the last chance to apply to register”.

To register, a form must be completed and submitted “immediately” to the appropriate Local Authority to meet the deadline for Late Applications of 5pm on Tuesday 1st May.

Persons eligible for a Postal Vote also face an application deadline of 5pm on Tuesday if they have not yet been included on the Supplement to the Postal Voters list.

USI directed all unregistered voters to the website www.citizensinformation.ie where they can download the appropriate Late Application form by entering the search term ‘Registering to Vote’. Late Application forms can also be collected in person from City and County Council offices. All parts of the application must be completed according to the instructions. The completed form must then be immediately submitted to the relevant Local Authority by fax, or delivered by hand (to ensure delivery by the Tuesday 1st May deadline).

USI President Colm Hamrogue said: “Today is D-Day for all unregistered voters to complete an application form and apply to have their details included on the Supplement to the Register of Electors. A different application form should be completed by persons eligible for a Postal Vote who want to take advantage of this method but haven’t yet been registered for a postal vote.

“Every vote will count in this election so every student must take action to ensure they are registered. Young people in particular are an under-represented group. Students risk giving politicians carte blanche to ignore them if they do not take steps to protect their right to be heard.

“If you are a citizen and you haven’t already registered to vote yet, you still have time to act – but not much time. In fact, you only have a few hours remaining. So act this instant.

“Go to www.citizensinformation.ie and download a form for people wishing to have their name added to the Supplement to the Register of Electors. You can locate this form by entering the search term ‘Registering to Vote’ then scrolling down to the section dealing with How to Apply. Late Application forms can also be collected in person from City and County Council offices.

“All parts of the application must be completed by following the official instructions. Once you have completed all sections of the application, submit it to the relevant Local Authority today. You can either fax it or deliver it by hand to ensure delivery before the deadline.”