Student protest and rutting deer
Deputy Murphy says students will protest again over accommodation, fees and cost-of-living pressures, while Deputy Moynihan seeks a road-safety campaign about rutting deer. The Taoiseach says student supports have improved and he will raise the deer hazard with the RSA; the Chair closes with a light remark.
As we are out of time, I will take 30-second questions from the two remaining Deputies.
Comment on this
Two years ago this week, tens of thousands of third level students led by USI walked out of lecture theatres to protest over the student accommodation crisis and the cost-of-living crisis. Two years on, they will do exactly the same this Thursday, 17 October at 11.30 a.m. Most of their problems have only got worse. The housing crisis has got worse and the cost-of-living crisis has got worse. In reality they face a profiteering crisis with big landlords and private companies seeking to make money.
They will be marching out looking for a scrapping of student fees, for proper student accommodation and for a minimum wage that is equal to the living wage.
Comment on this
The rut is on and the wild deer are out there. They are a lot more active and visible across the countryside but particularly crossing roads. When they are crossing roads, they are not interested in traffic or anything. They are only focused on one thing. They are a danger and a hazard on the road. Many drivers are totally unfamiliar with how to deal with the situation and unaware of the seasonality of the whole issue. There needs to be a road safety and awareness campaign to minimise the danger on the roads arising from that season. Can the Taoiseach raise it with the RSA to ensure that they make people aware of the danger and road hazard that is there at this time of year, in much the same way there would be road hazards at other times of year?
Comment on this
Our colleague, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, tells me that his Department is undertaking a recruitment campaign with regard to management teams at the moment. I accept very much the points the Deputy makes around the hazard they can be to road users, and the dangers. I will also ask the matter be raised with the RSA.
In response to Deputy Murphy, students will absolutely continue, no doubt, to protest and highlight issues of concern to them but I would say to them that we have cut their fees, increased their grants, increased the PhD stipend, extended the rent tax credit and invested more in third level education than ever before in the history of the State.