DCU’s Student Union rallied over two hundred students onto the streets of Dublin on Wednesday the 3rd of October for the Raise the Roof protest.
Raise the Roof is a campaign being run to protest the housing crisis in Ireland and, in particular, the unaffordable and poor quality student accommodation.
“Rather than affording it to students, [the government] are affording it to profit,” said Craig McHugh, Vice President for Education and Placement.
The Student Union hope to highlight the extortionate levels of student accommodation prices, and to raise awareness about the housing crisis nationwide.
The Raise the Roof protest was the second major movement organised by the Student Union regarding student accommodation, following Shanowen Shakedown.
“It’s DCU students taking on what was Shanowen Shakedown and progressing it,” said President Vito Moloney Burke. “Because what that stemmed from has not been fixed.”
In 2017, the government announced their plans to develop new student accommodation, however, the word “affordable” was never mentioned.
The Union of Students Ireland (USI) joined the thousands of people at the protest last week.
Vice President of USI, Colm O’ Halloran, said that the Raise the Roof campaign highlights an urgent issue that needs continuous action.
“It not only affects students but everyone and anyone living in Ireland.”
O’ Halloran outlined some of USI’s plans for the year regarding the housing crisis, including pre-budget submissions which include student accommodation proposals.
The USI and the DCU Student Union are both looking for action from the government. The Student Union plan to have further movements and to keep the pressure on the government about this issue.
“[The march] was very much a method of putting pressure on the government and giving them a wake-up call,” said Aisling Fagan, Vice President for Welfare and Equality.
“This doesn’t stop here,” said President Moloney Burke. He added that the crisis is not an overnight fix and that the Student Union will be continuing to have demonstrations throughout the year.