Students blockaded the entrance to the Book of Kells exhibition in Trinity College Dublin on Tuesday in protest against a proposal to increase some programme costs.
According to Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), senior management are proposing a 2.3 per cent masters fee increase as well as a 10 per cent increase for some programmes in the next academic year. It said any fee increase would hurt students “who already face the cost of commuting, unaffordability of accommodation and the rising cost of living”.
The union added that students will take actions that are “seriously damaging to the reputation and finances of the university” if the increases go ahead.
Around a dozen students blocked the visitor entrance to the Book of Kells exhibition from early on Tuesday, with refunds being given to those who had booked tickets. A spokeswoman for the college said: “A student protest is under way at Trinity College Dublin. Trinity acknowledges students’ right to protest peacefully. The Book of Kells Experience is temporarily closed. The university is continuing to operate as normal.”
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Lorraine Cunningham, from Toronto, was due to visit the Book of Kells exhibition with her sister Sandra and daughter Kelsey on Tuesday.
“It was my daughter’s idea to come here to see the Book of Kells, she’s thinking about studying a Masters, here,” she said. “We booked tickets weeks in advance. We are disappointed but we’re going to try and see if we can rebook for tomorrow morning. We already have something booked for the afternoon and we go to Belfast on Thursday.”
Sandra Cunningham added: “We just have a limited time in Dublin. On a scale of one to 10 in terms of disappointment, it’s about an eight, but we do understand this is happening in a lot of colleges and there’s a voice that needs to be heard. It’s just too bad that it disrupts this ... like I think there’s a different way to do this protest.”
Andrew Burke and Anna Rouse, from southern Australia, said it was their first time visiting Ireland and they were sympathetic to the protesters.
“We’ve got two daughters at university in Australia. I certainly do sympathise with them, especially if they’re constantly seeing hikes,” Mr Burke said.
Ms Rouse added: “I really like the look of the library more than the Book of Kells, I just want to see the library to be honest. We didn’t have tickets booked, we were considering booking for tomorrow or the next day as we’re only here in Dublin for three days.
“We’re just trying to work out what we want to see while we’re here ... Everything is so expensive now, it’s crazy. We really believe education should be free.”
Trinity recorded a surplus of almost €4 million last year, but said the education sector remains under “huge pressure” from rising costs and underfunded public sector pay rises.
Dr Linda Doyle, provost of Trinity College Dublin, issued an email to staff and students on Monday saying she had received a “very concerning” email from the students’ union promising to cause serious financial and reputational damage to the university.
Ms Doyle wrote that the threat was “not acceptable”, adding: “I think it is important for you all to realise that the threat to seriously damage the finances of the university will impact each one of us negatively.”
“I can only assume this damage refers to blocking access to the Book of Kells. Though Trinity is a public university, it cannot survive solely on Government funding and must find other sources of income. It would be great if that were not the case, but this is our reality,” she said.
Ms Doyle told students the income received from tourism surrounding the Book of Kells keeps the university going, adding that any loss of income from it directly affects its ability to deliver services to students.
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