A medical science student at UCC has said they are 'in the firing line' for breaking regulations unlike any other group in society.
Earlier this month Justice Minister Helen McEntee discussed scenes in Limerick, which saw three people arrested and 30 fines issued after Gardaí broke up a gathering of students in Castletroy.
Pat Kenny had raised questions about the collective student body, and their adherence to COVID-19 regulations.
Student Hannah Emerson subsequently wrote a letter criticising the 'blanket blame' on the general student population.
She told Pat Kenny students are seen as easy marks.
"It's not a new thing, the vilifying of third levels, you see time and time again news outlets love it.
"We seem to be public enemy number one, no matter what.
"I think the crux of the issue is that what happened in Castletroy obviously shouldn't have happened - but the group of people that were most frustrated were the 99% of other third levels, who wake up every day to sit behind their laptop screens for the last 12 months to take part in this 'online college'".
Hannah said parties involving people aged 18 to 24 have "happened a few times".
But she added: "But it's also happened many times in the age group of 25 to 40 and 40 to 60.
"Yet the coverage stays on third levels no matter what, because it's easy, we're easy to vilify.
"So I think there are outbreaks amongst all age groups, but we are the ones in the firing line basically no matter what".
'Constant vilifying in the media'
Hannah said while everyone is affected, third level students have "pulled quite a short straw" for the past 12 months.
"These four years of 'protect the time of college' a year and a half has suddenly been taken away.
"It's kind of a few things coming together".
And Hannah said she feels students have been 'overlooked and dismissed.'
"We've been given absolutely no clarity on when we're returning to campus: the last time I was in a lecture theatre was was on the 12th of March 2020.
"That's quite a long time, and we haven't been given any clarity on when we're returning.
"There's no proritising us getting back - so that pain that is accompanying this unknowing, then colliding with this constant vilifying us in the media, it's quite demoralising".
She said while other groups are being called up on breaking regulations, students have been generalised together.
"There's over 300,000 third levels in Ireland currently, I don't think there's any other group so large in Ireland that are generalised so easily into such a small box.
"I mean the students of Castletroy should be brought up on their mistakes - but what happened, and as you took part in when you were interviewing the Minister for Justice, was lumping together these 300,000 students and the blanketed blame on all of us.
"I don't think that's replicated in other cohorts".
