Students galvinised by state of flux

Students galvinised by state of flux


Recent protests have illustrated the palpable anger among Ireland’s student population.
Trevor Quinn went to Mayo’s only third level institute and found more than a passing interest in Election 2011.


WITH unemployment levels still at unprecedented levels across the county, they say there has never been a better time to be in third level education. Thousands have returned to college to avoid the dole queues but with plans to increase registration fees still on the horizon, and with job prospects limited on graduation, all students are not happy campers.
Alan Judge, president of the Castlebar branch of the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) Student’s Union, said last week that he has never seen so much debate and interest in politics ahead of an election during his time in third level education.
“Students are talking about politics every day. When things are going well, it’s very easy to say it’s fine but now people have a real interest in how our country is being run. There is anger and a sense of disillusionment towards the outgoing government and students at GMIT are looking forward to casting their votes,” said Judge, who on behalf of the Students’ Union at Castlebar, issued an open invitation to all political parties to come to the campus today, Tuesday, February 1,  to present their prospective policies to students.
“A lot of people, although disillusioned with the current Government, have not really made up their minds how they are going to vote. With the election most likely being on a Friday, students have the opportunity to have a very important say in this election,” he adds.
Last November one quarter of the entire student population of the Castlebar campus attended a student protest march in Dublin city centre in opposition to the proposed introduction of registration fees.
Speaking about the increased costs for students Judge said, “The mature students here are trying  very hard to make the most of their opportunity to gain extra skills because they were working during the boom years. The government should be doing everything in their power to help them. We are still hopeful that a new Government can restore growth to the Irish economy and fulfill the training and education requirements that are needed. Education is a must, not a luxury.
“Students aren’t just worried about the next four years of their chosen third level course, they are looking at the years ahead but they are also concerned about the rest of their lives and their careers.”
A recent report issued by The Union of Students of Ireland estimates that more than 150,000 graduates will emigrate over the next five years, while a report by the National Youth Council states that 70 per cent of young unemployed people expect to emigrate in the next twelve months.
However, it was not all doom and gloom among the student fraternity in Castlebar, with many recognising the mood for change that comes with a General Election.
Bohola based IT student David Flaherty (pic 1) said it was clear there was a need for ‘new faces, new people and new ideas’.
Flaherty (34) believes the Dublin region receives massive investment and counties located on the western seaboard such as Mayo, Galway, Sligo and Donegal are largely ignored.
“If I felt they could do something I’d vote for Fine Gael. Maybe Enda Kenny could bring something down to the west.”
Flaherty, a married father of two, said there’s no need for the ‘fancy cars and extravagances’ that politicians have enjoyed for so long.
“The fact remains the recklessness of politicians, bankers and developers has led to the rich getting richer while ordinary people pick up the pieces. Instead of focusing on themselves and their parties they should focus on the country. I’m worried that my kids will be paying the price when they start working,” he adds.
Rossport native Arlene Clarke (pic 2) is a good example of the increased interest in Irish politics at GMIT Castlebar. The thirty-one year old Accounting and Financial Management student said she intends to vote but she still hasn’t decided who she will support.
“I haven’t voted before but there’s so much going on now I think it’s really worth voting. I’m hopeful. Politicians promise great things but whether they follow through on what they say is usually another story.”
Dennis Grealish (21) (pic 3) from Ballybane in Galway believes a lot of politicians still are out of touch with the daily lives of their constituents.
“I have faith in some of them but others have to go. A lot don’t have a clue about what the people want.” The Galwegian Outdoor Education student said a Fine Gael/ Sinn Fein coalition would be his preferred choice for a new Government.
Twenty-three year old Dubliner Laura Griffin (pic 4) believes that Fine Gael offer very little as a viable alternative, stating candidly that, “They are probably worse than Fianna Fail. ”
Griffin said she had not heard any clear policies from any of the major parties but she thinks that Labour would do the best job of governing the country.