Calls have been made for the provision of extra gardaí in Cork city following a savage assault which left a 20-year-old student on a life support machine.
Cork Institute of Technology, student union president, Mr Philip O'Reilly, said the attack on Denis Franklin has made students fear for their own safety in the city: "Students feel that gardaí are not being given the necessary resources to tackle the crime problem in Cork."
Mr Franklin, from Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, is currently in a critical but stable condition in Cork University Hospital after being set upon by men at the Grand Parade in Cork last Sunday morning. He was kicked and beaten until he lost consciousness before being left in an alleyway.
Supt Kieran McGann said every effort had to be made to curb excessive drinking among young people in Cork city.
Gardaí are continuing the hunt for Mr Franklin's attackers and have appealed for witnesses to come forward. They are also examining CCTV footage of the Grand Parade area.