Dublin - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

UCD FEE Protest: Bertie's coming to Belfield

dublin | education | event notice

Tuesday September 29, 2009 05:08

by Godot - free education for everyone (personal capacity)

education shouldn't be a debt sentence

UCD Free Education for Everyone are holding a protest against the arrival of pro-fees TD, Bertie Aherns on campus.

Meet outside the library, today at 6:30pm.

Ah Jaysis, a protest? That's counterproductive lads, cud yis not send an angry email to me secretary instead?

The man who helped built the Irish economy like a house of cards is coming to UCD to chair a LawSoc debate on the Lisbon Treaty. Ahern is still a TD and will get wheeled out to vote for the reintroduction of fees & a fresh set of cutbacks in this Decembers budget - and he'll get away with it unless some pesky kids can stop him.

In addition, UCD Siptu Education branch are currently fighting against the colleges attempt to force through compulsory redundancies.

In a series of policy documents, both the government and Fine Gael have charted a course for higher education in Ireland. Among the proposals are:

The introduction of a student contribution (deferred loans, extra prsi contributions) to cover the costs of tution
A reduction in public funding with the gap being filled by a reliance on private companies & philantropists (institutionalised charity)
Redirecting funding away from Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences in order to increase the funding of more 'commerically productive' courses
Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to allow private consortiums to build and manage educational facilities
Using PPPs to privatise ancillary services such as cleaning, maintainance & security, in order to undermine pay & work conditions

There's no point standing on the sidelines watching this happen. The future of education is up for grabs - it's up to students and staff to take control of it.

If the government are going to block our access to education, we're going to block their access to our campus.

Brian Lenihan blockade 2008 - http://www.indymedia.ie/article/89547
FEE scare off Martin Mansergh 2008 - http://www.indymedia.ie/article/89395
Another one bites the dust. Conor lenihan pulls out 2008 - http://www.indymedia.ie/article/89840
Eamon O'Cuiv gets 'welcomed' in NUIG - http://www.sin.ie/site/view/288/
Noel Dempsey gets blockaded 2002 - http://free-education.info/2002/10/16/ucd-students-barr...ding/