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By Mary McDonnell

A student yesterday claimed he is selling drugs to put himself through college.

He told how he earns around €5,000 a year from dealing cannabis to other people at university.

The young DCU student said: “It was about making sure my parents didn’t have to put me through college.

“I didn’t want to be a burden on them. Their financial situation isn’t great.”

The student earns around €100 per week by selling cannabis for one and a half times what he pays for it.

The standard rate for a college grant is just over €3,000 if you move away from home.

And the dealer said there’s high demand for what he sells.

He claimed he answers at least three calls a day from other students and that 15 people call to his house every week to buy drugs.

The dealer added he’s not the only one doing it, saying: “I know three others in DCU, two in UCD, and one in WIT who sell cannabis to pay for college.

"Time constraints definitely come into it. You need time to study.

“It only takes five minutes to hand a little plastic bag to someone that you get €50 for. It’s fast money.

“It’s not a big risk. Most of the time people just come over and they take the money off me or I just meet them outside. It’s a quick deal. No one’s going to see it happen. And even if they see, I don’t think anyone cares.”

Union of Students in Ireland welfare officer Greg O’Donoghue said he was shocked by the claims.

He added: “This is the first case I have heard of. I recommend people to not do that.

“I would be worried – it’s an illegal drug. It’s bad enough smoking it let alone selling it.”

Tony Geoghegan, head of Merchants Quay drugs services in Dublin, warned a conviction for dealing will stay with someone for the rest of their lives.

He added “a lot of cannabis grown here is particularly strong” and students who deal are “supporting a whole underground criminal movement – getting involved in criminality and making the problem worse”.