Soup kitchens for Irish students?

While soup kitchens generally throw up connotations of The Famine and the homeless, it appears that some Irish students are now relying on them to get by.

By Declan Whooley

In a sign of the times, more than 5,500 students are still awaiting their college grants and many are reliant on food boxes from students unions to get by.

Figures released showed that more than a quarter of all successful applicants have yet to receive their grant and are struggling to get by. Student Union President of Ireland John Logue says that the situation is very serious for those affected.

“In the case of Athlone IT, there is a soup kitchen set up in their canteen so that students who are going hungry, because of the lack of food they are getting through the lack of maintenance grant, they can get soup in there,” he said.

He also cited a number of other institutions that are assisting stricken students by offering soup and sandwiches to those most in need.