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The mass gathering of students in Galway City earlier this week has been described as a “massive slap in the face” by student representatives, who say the students have also been abandoned by the government.
NUI Galway’s student union was responding to large student gatherings at Spanish Arch, Shop Street and Wood Quay in the city, raising concerns about the lack of social distancing.
NUIG Student Welfare official Róisín Nic Lochlainn said that while condemning the students’ behavior, the government had six months to come up with a plan to stop the “inevitable.”
“It was really heartbreaking, and a slap in the face, to see everyone there and everyone without masks or distancing. But at the same time, it is not surprising that this has happened, “he said, stating that the government has” absolutely abandoned “the students.
“The students were dragged back to the city without clarity. They were told to pay for accommodation, they came here and everything is online. There are no social spaces, no discos. They have had six months to plan this, so why are meetings only now taking place? ”
In response to the incident, the executive director of the Galway City Council called an emergency virtual meeting with representatives from the council, HSE, the university and student bodies.
Later, a spokesperson said: “The discomfort, anger and concern of people throughout the city for the events that unfolded was shared and recognized by all.”
In a separate statement, NUIG said the incident was “deplorable.”
A spokesman for the university said it “has repeatedly appealed to the best judgment of our students and reminded them of their responsibilities under the student code of conduct.”
“While the vast majority of our students are doing everything they can to stay safe and help prevent the spread of Covid-19, we will not hesitate to address any breaches of public health guidelines in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct. [which has penalties up to and including expulsion],” they said.
Independent local TD Catherine Connolly said there was “a lack of clarity” in messages about whether students should be in town for courses and said she wanted the city to “rise to the challenge” posed by Covid- 19 in the area. On Tuesday 14 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Galway, out of 363 across the country.
In Cork, gardaí said they are not investigating any suspected breaches of public health regulations after they responded to reports of crowds lining up outside bars on Oliver Plunkett St Monday night.
Gardaí is also understood to have dealt with complaints about three house parties, including a property on St Finbarr’s Rd, where some 30 youths were removed from the building around 3 p.m. Monday.
However, the UCC Student Union said that no meeting reviewed by campus surveillance was associated with a virtual event organized as part of its digital week.
The union also said there were significantly fewer disciplinary cases brought to the campus surveillance committee on Tuesday than the day before, which it said proves that “online events do not in fact encourage antisocial behavior.”
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