Ninth Level Ireland

“By any measure the Irish third level sector is in financial crisis and students are being shortchanged. In the near-decade since the recession, Irish universities and institutes of technology have suffered significantly. No Irish university appears in the Times Higher Education top 100, published last month …” (more)

[Tom Felle, Irish Times, 3 November]

“Third-level students in Ireland pay the second highest fees in Europe, according to a new report by the European Commission. While the UK has the highest fees – equivalent to about €10,000 – it is followed by Ireland with fees of €3,000. A crucial difference, however, is that more than 40 per cent of students in Ireland do not have to pay fees as they are entitled to means-tested grants …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 2 November]

“Students who find that their college course doesn’t suit them may discover it’s costly to drop out – depending on which college they’re attending. Most colleges offer a full refund up until 31 October, says Oisin Hassan, vice president for academic affairs at the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) …” (more)

[Laoise Neylon, Dublin Inquirer, 1 November]

“It is one of the great truisms of the modern academic world that neoliberalism, that creeping, ubiquitous ideology-that-is-non-ideological, has transformed higher education into a business and students into its customers. In the case of Trinity’s postgraduate community, this is no longer true …” (more)

[Ralph Moore, University Times, 31 October]

“Several College Board members have spoken out strongly against Trinity’s decision to increase postgraduate fees by 5%. The move has triggered anger from students and serious reservations from senior staff about the impact of such an increase. Speaking to The University Times, several members of the College Board …” (more)

[Dominic McGrath and Eleanor O’Mahony, University Times, 31 October]

“Only five years since the current system for funding Home/EU undergraduates at universities in England was introduced, its future is already in serious doubt. Policy proposals, first from Jeremy Corbyn during this year’s General Election campaign and then from Theresa May at the Conservative Party Conference earlier this month, have once again put university fees and student funding at the centre of a national political debate …” (more)

[Helen Carasso, Wonkhe, 30 October]

“When postgraduate students came into Trinity in 2014, they probably thought they were getting a good deal. Undertaking these courses in this world-class university was much cheaper than doing so in internationally equivalent institutions. Since then, the fees for all postgraduate courses – both for EU and non-EU students – have gone up by three or four per cent each year …” (more)

[University Times, 29 October]

“Before I explain my position, I would like to say something about myself. I am not an ideologue who believes that the private sector is always more efficient, nor do I believe people are fully responsible for their social outcome. I say this because I feel that these are the two accusations most often thrown at those who do not support free fees …” (more)

[Conall Carlos Monaghan, Trinity News, 26 October]

“College has approved a 5% increase in fees for postgraduates and non-EU undergraduate students. The College’s Finance Committee decided on the increase at a meeting on September 22 …” (more)

[Niamh Lynch, Trinity News, 24 October]

“Mary Mitchell O’Connor has made her most strident comments in the higher education funding debate today. As students prepare to march in their thousands for publicly funded education, she warned them not to fear financial pressure. In a statement today before the March for Education makes it way to Leinster House …” (more)

[Eleanor O’Mahony, University Times, 4 October]

“When thinking about ways to address the central challenges we face in our system of education, it is important to begin by acknowledging one undeniable fact: our universities have a truly remarkable record of delivering for Irish society. At third level we have moved from a small, exclusive sector – effectively closed to large sections of society – to having one of the world’s highest levels of qualifications …” (more)

[Thomas Byrne, University Times, 3 October]

“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has announced they will hold a national demonstration on October 4th calling on the Government to invest in publicly-funded third-level education. The demonstration, which is expected to draw over 5,000 students from across Ireland, will call on government officials and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills to invest in the publicly-funded third level education model as outlined in the Cassells report published last year …” (more)

[Seán Dunne, Irish Times, 25 September]

“Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost in 2018 for abolishing all third level fees, both capitation and tuition, for under graduate and post graduate …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 20 September]

“We spoke to Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for Higher Education. Keelin Shanley began by asking her how concerned she is about where all of those students are going to live” (audio).

[RTÉ – News at One, 22 August]

“Rising back-to-college costs mean a growing number of students are being forced to drop out of third-level education, according to students’ unions. The cost of student fees, accommodation, course books, equipment and transport mean some students will be unable to continue their degrees this September …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 8 August]

“Ulster University (UU) is to offer discounts on tuition fees to students from England, Scotland and Wales. Students beginning in 2017/18 will be offered a £2,000 discount on fees or a £1,000 discount plus money towards travel and accommodation costs …” (more)

[Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 1 August]

“Nearly a year to the day after the publication of a landmark report on Irish higher education funding, Labour Party senators will bring a motion to the Seanad tomorrow calling on the government to oppose a loan scheme for third-level students …” (more)

[Dominic McGrath, University Times, 11 July]

“The students’ unions at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and NUI Galway are calling on senators to support a Labour party motion rejecting the implementation of a student loan scheme …” (more)

[Connacht Tribune, 11 July]

“Tomorrow, the Seanad will debate a private members’ motion on third-level funding put forward by the Labour Party. Our motion, which I am proud to be proposing along with my colleagues, will call on the government to affirm its commitment to providing equality of access to education …” (more)

[Ivana Bacik, University Times, 11 July]

“The Government will leave the door open to the introduction of a student loan scheme on Wednesday when it opposes a motion to abolish student registration fees for third-level education. The Labour Party is due to table a private member’s motion in the Seanad rejecting any move to implement an income-contingent loan scheme and calling for a fully publicly-funded scheme …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 12 July]