Students in Maynooth University have been missing lectures and getting clamped due to a lack of parking.
Students who spoke to Dublin Live fear that there are too many undergraduates on campus and worry how they will make lectures this semester. An online petition highlighting the cramped conditions has already garnered over 1,000 signatures with many pointing out that a huge amount of students commute to Maynooth.
A student that drives from Dublin everyday told Dublin Live that she missed her first lecture this morning because she couldn't find a parking space. Eden Byrnes was also late for work as when she came back from lectures, her car was clamped. She had left a note for the private company on the windscreen explaining that she was late for class and couldn't find anywhere else to pull in.
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She said: "I've been sitting in the car for the last two hours waiting for it to be released. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. There is a private company that drives around and clamps cars if you're in an area you shouldn't be in. They have all different permits for different carparks.
"I have paid €40 for the year for a student permit. They post out a little permit disk for you. I'm then authorised to park in any student permit carpark. It's signposted in each carpark what kind of permit you need. There is a staff only one, then student and staff and visitor permits.
"This morning I came to Maynooth for my first lecture which was at 10am. I had lectures back-to-back from 10am until 2pm. I left my house in South Dublin at 9am and drove 45/50 minutes into Maynooth. I got here 15 minutes before my lecture at 9:45am, the drove around Maynooth to all the carparks.
"I went to the one beside the library, the one near the Students' Union, every staff and student carpark. There was not a single spot to be found.
"I missed my first lecture because of this. It was then 10:30am and I still couldn't find one. I just said 'screw this' basically and pulled into one of the spots for carpooling students. Basically, you apply for a special permit and you have to prove that two or more students will be coming to university in that car.
"There are live five spots in every carpark for carpooling students. I pulled into one of these and went to my second lecture. My student permit was displayed in the space for it. I also left a little note saying that I had driven around for ages and there was no spots. I said that I had missed my first lecture as a result and said 'please don't clamp me'.
"I put my name and my number on the note and put it where you would put a parking ticket on your windscreen. I just came back after my lectures and I had been clamped.
"I called them to pay €80 to release it. The phone number is completely painful and really badly organised. It took me half an hour just to get through to pay the release fee. When you get to the stage to pay it just says 'thank you, goodbye' and hung up on me.
"It literally took me half an hour to pay the thing. Now I'm waiting for them to release it. I'm supposed to be at work at 4pm and I'm not going to make that now."
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Like many students, Eden is struggling to make ends meet and has to get to her part-time job to afford fees.
She said: "I am a full-time student. I can only work 20 hours a week. I'm now missing a shift and my next pay cheque. I've had to pay €80 after just last week paying €40 coming back to college for the permit, as well as €3,000 a year in fees.
"The price of accommodation is so high. Maybe if it was cheaper, I wouldn't be commuting here. I've been forced to commute here and now there's nowhere for me to put my car.
"I'm missing work now and that's affecting me financially. I've had to pay out of my small part-time job wages. How are students actually supposed to survive if the system is set up to benefit from them and not to support them.
"There are people parked up on pieces of grass and the side of the road. There is literally nowhere to pull your car. They are all clamped. Would they actually preferred if I had just drove home and missed all my lectures?"
Another student told Dublin Live that she missed a lecture that goes towards her final grade, after spending an hour searching for a space.
She said: "I missed my lecture today. It's one where attendance goes towards your grade. I spent 58 minutes to be precise trying to get a car space. I ended up having to go to the Manor Mills."
A mature student and mother of five says that the situation has added to already stressful commute from Wexford. Keelin said: "As mature students who have children and other responsibilities to deal with, this is unnecessary stress added to us. I'm a single mother of five, travelling up from Wexford each day.
"I can't be here every day for 8:30am with my commitments as a mother and financial costs. We have missed lectures which is not ideal when we're pushing to be here on time for our lectures as it is.
"Maynooth was my number one choice to study at because of their inclusiveness towards mature students. However, not being able to facilitate parking is a huge let down.
"There are a good few of us struggling with it and we've only started our first year lectures this week! It's having a huge impact on us already and dampening what should have been a momentous week for us."
One student claimed that his car was damaged after being left in a non-official parking spot. Daniel said: "My car was clamped and it was left damaged. There are load of sticky marks and paper left on the windows. There are a big line of scratches above the wheel. I was clamped on Tuesday. I parked on a bit of gravel. I left a note in my window. I couldn't get unclamped that day because I had work. So, I had to get the bus home."
Ronan O'Donnell started the online petition and is encouraging people to make sure to verify their email when signing it. He is shocked by the mental toll the clamping has had on students, with many now worrying about passing final year exams.
He said: "The whole thing is a disgrace. The university at the moment is in a complete shambles. They cannot support their students. It's just ridiculous. I don't even drive but I started this petition because all of my friends were getting clamped. It sickens you. Something has to be done. There are only so many final year lectures you can miss until everything becomes too much?"
A spokesperson for Maynooth University told Dublin Live: "Maynooth University monitors parking spaces daily, and while we accept that parking may not be available at all times where drivers may wish to park, our surveys have found approx. 200 spaces are available at any given time in our two overflow car parks close to campus.
"We are currently building a new car park on campus, which is due for completion in the coming weeks. Any allegations of damage should be taken up with the parking management service directly."
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