The leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, tonight spoke with Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President Shane De Rís and Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) President Oisín Vince Coulter, ahead of tomorrow’s cross-party motion calling on the government to take emergency measures to tackle the ongoing housing and homelessness crises.
Martin, who was in Trinity speaking at a Politics Society (Pol Soc) event that focused on the homelessness crisis, spoke to Coulter and De Rís after addressing the society in the Arts Block.
However, around 10 members of Take Back Trinity said they were “fobbed off” by Martin as they asked for his support ahead of the motion. Martin was on his way to the event when the group stopped him in the Arts Block.
Speaking to The University Times, Conchúir Ó Raidaigh, a leader of Take Back Trinity, who was arrested last month during the eviction of a property on North Frederick St, said the group “had serious questions to ask Michael Martin mainly about the motion tomorrow about the cross-party members bill on housing. The minute we asked him in quite a polite way, he fobbed us off”.
“He was pretty rude actually. He wouldn’t engage with students with really legitimate questions”, Ó Raidaigh said.
The group said they did not attempt to access the lecture theatre where Martin was speaking. Seán Egan, another leader in the group, speaking to The University Times, said: “We all know that these Pol Soc Q&A periods are not Q&A periods at all. If the tenor of your question is not considered appropriate you are immediately stuck down.”
“It’s an exercise in fawning over politically powerful people in our society”, he said. “I’m honestly shocked at how arrogant he was. You expect so little and even then, you’re disappointed.”
Speaking to The University Times, Coulter said he and De Rís attempted to meet with Martin before the event, after contacting his office “early yesterday demanding that he meet with student representatives”. Coulter said the pair wanted to ask Martin if he would be supporting tomorrow’s motion – “and if not, why not?”.
Martin, in response to a question posed by De Rís in the questions-and-answers section of the event, said that his party was “not just standing by the sidelines. We’re saying very strongly there has to be an affordable housing fund”. De Rís asked Martin if he would support the motion on housing tomorrow.
“We don’t back things unless we’re satisfied we can stand over them. Most of what’s in there, we’ve already called for”, Martin said, calling Dublin rents “simply exorbitant and too high”.
Martin said he wasn’t “overly confident” in the government’s handling of the crisis. “I think Eoghan Murphy has a lot to do to prove himself”, Martin said.
Activists for Take Back Trinity have been vocal opponents of the housing crisis, occupying properties on South Frederick St and Summerhill Parade. They recently staged a national day of action, with protests organised around the country. Traffic on O’Connell St was forced to halt, as over 500 protestors marched to express their anger at government inaction on the housing crisis.
Eleanor O’Mahony also contributed reporting to this piece.
