ANDREW DANIEL, LIMERICK IT, 1st YEAR SOCIAL STUDIES: "If fees go to €5,000, I won't be in college next year. We're here today to try to ensure the grant doesn't get cut and the fees don't go up - that's the main aim."
KEITH McNAMARA, LIMERICK IT, 2nd YEAR VIDEO & SOUND
"I'm here today to primarily stop the raise in fees and the cuts to grants because, at the moment, students like myself . . . can't cope on the grants we're getting, we can't pay fees. The Government propose bringing in a €5,000 [ increase] next year and a 30 per cent cut in grants and, with my parents not working and everything else, we can't afford [ college]."
LORCAN BRENNAN, DCU, 2nd YEAR MECHANICAL & MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
"We're protesting that the grants have been cut by 4 per cent. And they've increased the range - how far you have to be away from your college to get the grant. I know my grant, I got €3,000 last year and this year I'm only getting €1,000, and I need the money to be able to go to college."
KILIAN DOLAN, DCU, 1st YEAR
"I'm here because I want to stop the fees and keep the grant. I think [ the protest will] show the power of students. I'm not sure to be honest if they're going to actually do anything but its good to show the power that we have."
CLARE KEANE, CARLOW IT, 1st YEAR MEDIA & PR
"We are here today to stop them from cutting the grants and from raising the fees. It is absolutely ridiculous. The majority of people here cannot afford it as it is - no one is going to be in college next year. It is ridiculous - there are going to be so many problems [if fees are introduced]. If we don't have education what do we have left?"
KATIE TYRRELL, CARLOW IT, 1st YEAR MEDIA & PR
"If they raise the fees I can't afford to go to college, so that's the end of my education. There's a lot that has to be done today because otherwise my education is completely gone. I can't afford it."ELLEN KEENAN, CARLOW IT, 2nd YEAR LAW
"We're here to protest against the fees and education cuts because we won't be able to afford college next year."
NICOLE McHUGH, DCU, 2nd YEAR EDUCATION & TRAINING
"I'm here because I don't agree with raising the fees and getting rid of the grant. Hopefully they won't raise the fees as much as they're saying they will. The rise of €500 last year was enough to put a few of my friends out of college, and I don't see any of this lot coming to college next year if they raise it by €5,000.
AIDAN FALVEY, TCD, 2nd YEAR NATURAL SCIENCE
"To see people not being able to go to college purely due to financial reasons is not fair. Obviously he [Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn] has been caught out in some ways. He signed something [ USI pledge, against fee increases] and now he's not holding up to it, and really he should. If you sign something, make a promise, you're meant to keep it."
ADAM GORDON, TCD, 2nd YEAR HUMAN GENETICS
"I'm attending the march because [the fee hike issue] might not affect me personally, but it affects my friends and they may not be able to come back to college next year if these cuts are made."
