Ninth Level Ireland

“Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of leaving certificate students who have applied for the higher education access route, HEAR, grant from as far back as August 2011, are still waiting for medical cards to be issued and that one of the criteria for applying for HEAR is that the family hold a medical card in 2011; and if he will ensure that disadvantaged students are not excluded from receiving the HEAR grant due to the long delays in issuing medical cards …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann, 24 January]

“Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he decides to impose further pay cuts on public servants, if a poverty impact assessment will take place in advance …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann, 24 January]

“Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of employees in the public sector currently on salaries in excess of €200,000; and the names of the employees in each case and the position they hold …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann, 24 January]

“It’s been a peculiar day in relation to Ireland’s SOPA. First of all, junior minister Seán Sherlock said on lunchtime radio that he intends to hold an emergency Dáil debate on the law – within 24 hours no less! …” (more)

[TJ McIntyre, IT Law in Ireland, 25 January]

“Athlone IT could be part of a new technological university which would become the largest educational institution in the State, catering for over 27,000 students …” (more)

[Deirdre Verney, Westmeath Independent, 25 January]

“This morning, I searched for an article about autism on JSTOR, the online database of academic journals. I have a child on the autistic spectrum, and I like to be aware of the latest research on the topic. I could not access any of the first 200 articles that contained the word ‘autism’. That’s because, for the most part, only individuals with a college ID card can read academic journal articles …” (more)

[Laura McKenna, Atlantic Mobile, 20 January]

“In the heated debate about two labs that engineered a variant of the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus that for the first time easily transmits between mammals, one critical voice has been missing: Yoshihiro Kawaoka. But today, Kawaoka speaks his mind …” (more)

[Jon Cohen, ScienceInsider, 25 January]

“Full text of the address by President Michael D Higgins on receipt of Doctorate of Laws (Honoris Causa) from National University of Ireland at the conferring ceremony in Dublin Castle …” (more)

[Irish Times, 25 January]

“The following is the full text of a briefing note prepared by innovation minister Seán Sherlock this evening, and circulated to all members of the Dáil and the Oireachtas …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 25 January]

“At the QS World University Rankings, we are always keen to see how other people go about looking at universities. This month has been notable for the appearance of the Leiden ranking, which offers a highly specific view of academic excellence as expressed through citations …” (more)

[Martin Ince, QS Intelligence Unit, 25 January]

“Waterford and Carlow IT’s bid for technological university status will be one of at least three and possibly more similar applications this year, it emerged this week …” (more)

[Michelle Clancy, Munster Express, 25 January]

“Ireland is to sign a controversial international agreement tomorrow which promises a major international crackdown on the trade of counterfeit goods – and illegal internet filesharing …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 25 January]

“Prof Dermot Kelleher, the Head of the School of Medicine at Trinity College, has been appointed as Principal of the Medical School at Imperial College in London. Imperial is one of the top five medical schools in the world …” (more)

[Gary Culliton, Irish Medical Times, 24 January]

“Wikipedia blacked itself out recently in protest at new US legislation – the campaign is known as SOPA (Stop the Online Piracy Act). There are fears that Ireland may be about to follow the US’s lead, with Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, Seán Sherlock, saying he will be bringing in new legislation in this area possibly as soon as this coming Tuesday …” (more)

[Stephen Donnelly TD, 25 January]

“Normal life can be resumed now that January exams are drawing to a close. But as budding scientists and mathematicians stroll carefree to their lectures, humanities students are left nursing a rather ugly legacy – the writer’s bump. Held aloft in pride and anguish, the bulbous callus caused by prolonged use of a pen is proof of exam exertion …” (more)

[Rebecca Ratcliffe, Guardian, 25 January]

“I’m just coming to the end of marking for the first semester. What a tedious task it is! I have small classes (20-30 students) so I can’t imagine what it’s like marking a first year module with a couple of hundred students. Marking is often a depressing experience …” (more)

[educationandstuff, 25 January]

“A response to hacker group Anonymous’ attack on a number of Irish Government websites in light of the controversial statutory instrument dubbed Ireland’s SOPA is being met with a ‘whole of Government response to the threat’ …” (more)

[John Kennedy, Silicon Republic, 25 January]

“Over the past year, state funding for higher education has declined by nearly 8%. In real terms, that amounts to $6bn less being funneled into the nation’s public colleges and universities at a time when the demand for the degrees they provide is at an all-time high …” (more)

[Kayla Webley, Time, 25 January]

“The junior minister preparing a controversial new Statutory Instrument dealing with online copyright protection has said he is open to holding a Dáil debate on the issue …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 25 January]

“GMIT is set to be the centre of Ireland’s biggest university, after new plans for a merger between five institutes of technology were revealed this week …” (more)

[Marie Madden, Galway Independent, 25 January]