NUIG row in behind jobs for the unemployed campaign

Ógra Shinn Féin, NUI Galway recently set up a stall in the college which was based on the on-going unemployment crisis in the 26 counties. While its general objective was to highlight the drastic state of current unemployment figures, it was specifically aimed at drawing attention to the major problem of youth unemployment.

At the stall young activists asked fellow students to sign postcards addressed to An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen declaring that they want to put their ‘skills and education to work’ and furthermore, demanding that he ‘needs to act now to create jobs for the unemployed’. The United Ireland leaflets which were designed recently by Ógra Shinn Féin for the national campaign were also distributed at the stall, receiving an enthusiastic reception from most students.
Seán Perill who manned the stall for a considerable period of time on Tuesday felt that it was a brilliant idea and that it turned out to be extremely successful:
‘It’s crucial to keep in mind that at the moment, one in four young people are unemployed. Dole payments for young people were slashed in the last budget and it is estimated that 60,000 people emigrated in the last year with many more expected to leave this year. The government doesn’t have any credible job creation initiatives so therefore it is crucial to raise these issues. To hold the stall in a busy walkway on campus was great because it drew light on the issue of unemployment figures for many within the college as well as re-igniting the debate on an argument for a United Ireland among the student population, some of whom had never even contemplated the proposal before now.’