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Withdrawal of funding forces SU to close down Cloakroom service By Tomás M. Creamer
FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER | VOL 18, ISSUE 01 | 13 SEPT. 2016
SU President speaks out on housing crisis By Heather Robinson In 2015 last year the Irish Times reported that the housing crisis in Galway was at the ‘worst its ever been’. In the same news bulletin they mentioned there was going to be a 10% average rise in rent prices for Galway in the coming year of 2016. With many students left scrambling for accommodation at last minute because of CAO offers, there are many who must pay exorbitant rates for a room or forego their place in third level education. Jimmy McGovern, NUI Galway’s Student Union President had a lot to say on the subject; “To begin, there has been a very little number of new properties built in Galway for the past number of years. “With our University expanding dramatically over the past decade, our student population has grown to almost 18,000, our neighbouring institute GMIT and also the teaching hospital, have also played a major role in the accommodation demands. According to NUI Galway’s website, students make up 20% of the overall population in Galway city, with most young people being attracted to the friendly and cheerful atmosphere. McGovern also said that the industry growth in Galway city could be a contributing factor to the housing problem as more jobs are being generated but there are now fewer places to accommodate people. “As a University, we have heavily relied on the private market as a source of housing for students. However, the private market is worryingly unpredictable, as we have now experiencing. “People appear to be renting as opposed to buying, which again is putting more pressure on the rental market and limiting the amount of houses available for students. Property owners are renting to professionals, to, I believe, avoid the student-friendly nine month leases, and to higher the rent cost.” The issue of nine-month leases seems to
be further exasperated by graduating students remaining in their student accommodation. Graduates are extending their leases beyond the academic year and thereby limiting the private market for incoming first year students. Every year there are less properties open to the student population. According to McGovern there are plans in development for new purpose built student accommodation of up to 429 beds that is expected for September 2018. He also informed SIN that there should be a further 470 beds available by 2020. McGovern wishes to inform all students that the Student’s Union and the University’s Accommodation Office have partnered up to help solve this problem and provide beds where they are available. In a concluding statement McGovern said “The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) have also relaunched their housing initiative, homes. usi.ie, as a means to appeal to homeowners in all over Ireland to consider offering accommodation to students during term time. With rents increasing and accommodation being scarce, USI are committed to help tackle this issue.”
On the 31st of August, the NUI Galway Student’s Union (SU) announced through a post on its Facebook page that it has being forced to close down the Cloakroom service – a safe space where students could leave bags temporarily at no cost to themselves – due to a decision from the University to withdraw the funding necessary to keep it running. Jimmy McGovern, the current SU President, commented in response to a query by a contributor from this newspaper, saying “firstly, it goes without say that the Students’ Union is deeply disappointed with the University’s decision to withdraw funding from the Cloakroom. “The Students’ Union has operated and managed the Cloakroom for many years, and it has been a service used by a wide range of students. The staff cost for this service was covered by the University’s Buildings Office, however this funding was withdrawn last year. The Students’ Union are not in a position to fund the Cloakroom, but we have clearly stated to the Buildings Office that we are more than willing to operate and manage the service at no charge, if funding can be made available. We will, on behalf of students, continue to lobby for the University to source funding for this much-used and beneficial service.” The office of the University President, James J. Browne, was contacted for comment in relation to this issue, but has not responded at the time of writing. The office of Pat Morgan, the University Vice President for the Student Experience, was contacted, and commented; “I was unaware, until informed recently by SU commercial, of the source of funding for the Cloakroom or the cessation of funding. I will of course seek clarification on the matter in the next few days.”