TCD and rent increases

Sir, – It was a relief to see such a satirical reaction to the “denaming” of Trinity’s Berkeley library in your letters page last week.

It is frustrating to watch student advocacy focus on such an absurd thing at a time when Trinity is charging students up to €1,227 a month to live in its on-campus accommodation this semester, and jacking up rents every year.

Watching a college exploit students to ensure that only the most privileged can afford its accommodation, instead of using its assets to support students during a housing crisis, is deeply saddening to me as a past student who paid exorbitant rent to Trinity for two years.

It is concerning that student politics is focused on the largely imaginary offence caused by the name of the Berkeley Library instead of issues such as these that have real impacts on students and their families. – Yours, etc,