SETU Waterford students to walk out of lectures due to 'chronic underfunding'

Students attending SETU Waterford will walk out of all classes, tutorials, labs, and lectures alongside their Student's Union on Wednesday at 12pm. 

All five of Ireland's technological universities will take part in the walk out in an attempt to "compel the government to address the chronic underfunding of the sector." 

SETU Waterford and Carlow, TU Dublin, MTU, TUS, and ATU will all be involved in the action. 

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In a statement, Jamie Cullen, SETU Carlow's Campus Officer, said: "Our protest is a unified rejection of a two-tier education system where TUs are left marginalised." 

They are making a number of demands including the implementation of a TU Borrowing Framework for funds to build student accommodation, increased postgraduate stipend funding to sure a full payment of €25,000 for research, and the full implementation and funding of professorships within the sector.

The TU sector is also calling for increased funding for courses taught through Irish. 

"These asks are simple. TUs are universities — and should be treated as such. We refuse to accept a two-tier education system where Technological Universities are left to the wayside," Jamie said.