Hundreds of third-level students marched through Limerick yesterday to protest about student grants.
It was part of a national campaign co-ordinated by the Union of Students in Ireland, which believes that the level of student grants - in general the current maximum is £49 a week - is inadequate and should be increased to social welfare levels.
Students from the University of Limerick, Mary Immaculate College and the Limerick Institute of Technology held a rally at City Hall which was addressed by the Mayor of Limerick, Mr John Ryan, a lecturer at LIT.
Mr Ryan said it was estimated the cost of attending a third-level college in Limerick was between £4,500 and £5,000 a year.
"The cost of rent, food, clothing and books has increased at a rate higher than the increases in the grants. Rents alone now account for a major proportion of the grant and for those students not on a grant, it places an intolerable burden on their families." A student statement said the grant was increased by 5 per cent this year, bringing it to £49 per week over 36 weeks, or £1,764 for the year. The cost of attending college for 2000-01 is £4,642.29 with the full grant being £1,764, which leaves a shortfall of £2,878.29.
Student leaders said regulations in many colleges prohibited students from working part-time. Despite this, many students were forced to do so to survive.
"It is time for the Government to raise the grant to social welfare levels, the minimum that an Irish citizen requires to live with dignity and to give students the opportunity to complete their studies successfully before they proceed to give back to the economy in income tax for the next 40 years."