THE president of the Union of Students in Ireland has called on young people to force the issue of third-level funding on to the agenda for the forthcoming general election.
In his opening address at the USI annual congress, Mr Colman Browne said that students have never been better placed to influence election candidates.
"We are presented with a unique opportunity this year to put student power and student issues on the map, both North and South."
He said that young people constituted the most disenfranchised group in the country, and called on them to lobby politicians on four key issues: the poor level of maintenance grant funding; the crisis in the technical sector in regard to the status of colleges; the need for improvements in campus accommodation; and the resurrection of full social welfare rights for students.
Mr Byrne was re-elected president yesterday at the union's 39th congress, which runs until Friday in Westport, Co Mayo.
Other subjects included underfunding for art and design colleges and the extension of free tuition to evening and postgraduate students.
The USI education officer, Mr Malcolm Byrne, warned that students faced increased costs in the coming years despite the abolition of third-level fees. He said fees were being reinstated "by the back door" through charges on student services.
Such costs would perpetuate inequalities and discourage people from disadvantaged areas from continuing their education, said Mr Byrne, who was re-elected.
Calling for more investment in maintenance grants, he urged people to tell politicians that they would be willing to forgo tax cuts to fund education.
On accommodation, the union warned that a shortage of housing is forcing some students to drop out of college. With the problem expected to get worse next year, it called on the Government to ensure that the gap was not filled by sub-standard accommodation.
In other election contests Ms Helen Ryan, the former welfare officer, was elected deputy president; Mr Noel Clarke was elected welfare officer; and Mr Dermot Quain was elected development officer.
The USI represents over 40 students' unions and an estimated 140,000 students, both North and South.
