Ninth Level Ireland

“Cian O’Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Irish students are being charged additional fees for the Scottish graduate-entry medicine programme based in the University of St Andrews and the University of Dundee which contradicts the memorandum of understanding on the common travel area; the steps he will take to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 June]

“James O’Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the return of English language schools in view of the reopening of international travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 June]

“Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to review the current level of fees for third-level courses …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 16 June]

“Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the possible challenges facing leaving certificate students in accessing entry to universities outside of Ireland and the UK arising from the later than the usual date of issuing of leaving certificate results; the plans she has in place to ensure that concerned students will not be affected by the late issuing of their results; and if she will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 15 June]

“A Leaving Certificate student’s High Court challenge over a refusal to allow private tutors assist in assessing his calculated grades will not be heard until July 2nd. The boy, who cannot be named, had received private tutoring because he had not been attending his school after refusing to obey a requirement that he wear a face mask in the common areas …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 16 June]

“Thousands of international students are calling for their visas to be extended because they have not been able to fullfil ‘a vital part’ of their reason for studying in Ireland – the chance to work in graduate level employment. The Third Level Graduate Programme allows Irish educated non-EEA graduates remain here after their studies, for the purpose of seeking graduate level employment. The graduates are generally permitted to work here for between one and two years …” (more)

[Sharon Tobin, RTÉ News, 15 June]

“Report calls for access targets and supports to be focused on disadvantaged communities as well as expanding opportunities for part-time learning. The number of people aged between 15-64 years who have achieved a third-level qualification in Ireland has increased by 5% in the past decade, with educational attainment rates remaining high, new research has shown …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 14 June]

“Low numbers of mature students are entering higher education due to financial barriers, family commitments and a lack of flexible study options, according to a Higher Education Authority (HEA) report. The report also shows the number of 25-44 year-olds with a college degree has climbed above 50% …” (more)

[Marie O’Halloran, Irish Times, 14 June]

“Students hoping to live on campus at UCD for the next academic year will have to pay up to €14,000 for their accommodation, it has been announced. The college has released details of its on-site accommodation for the 2021/22 academic year, with options ranging from €8,059 to €14,465 for returning students looking to rent for the standard two semesters. Broken down, the students would pay €203 per week at the campus’s two cheapest halls …” (more)

[Ellen O’Riordan, Irish Times, 11 June]

“University College Dublin (UCD) recently published the pricing for all on-campus student accommodation for the next academic year. Fees for September 2021 to May 2022 range from €8,059.33 to €14,465, depending on the residence. During the 2020/21 academic year, the cheapest on-campus residences, Belgrove and Merville, were priced at €6,696.95 from September 17 to May 17 for continuing undergraduate students. Also last year, the most expensive residence, Roebuck Castle, cost continuing undergraduate students €10,612.27, which included catering …” (more)

[Bella Salerno, Trinity News, 11 June]

“Second-level student leaders say teaching of first years in third-level colleges must start no earlier than September 27, following the announcement that Leaving Cert result won’t issue until September 3. Colleges have been reviewing their schedules and some, including UCD, DCU, UCC, NUI Galway and Maynooth University, have decided on a September 27 start for tuition, but details are awaited from across the sector …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 10 June]

“Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh has called on the government to stop downplaying the scale of the increase of applicants to the CAO and to take action to make additional places available. The Sinn Féin spokesperson for Further and Higher Education, Conway-Walsh stated: ‘The Leaving Cert results being delayed until September 3 will be very stressful news for students and their families …'” (more)

[Connaught Telegraph, 6 June]

“Tens of thousands of college applicants are due to receive CAO first round offers four days after the Leaving Cert results are released. The Central Applications Office (CAO) confirmed on Friday that offers will be made available online at 2pm on Tuesday, September 7th. Applicants will have just under a week to accept any offers …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 4 June]

“Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are any refunds or waiver of fees available to third-level students given they have been at home studying remotely for most of the year …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 2 June]

“Tens of thousands of Leaving Cert students will have to wait until early September before receiving their results and CAO offers. Minister for Education Norma Foley has confirmed that students will be able to access their results online on Friday, September 3rd. It is likely that CAO round one offers for college applicants will follow shortly afterwards in the week beginning Monday, September 6th …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 2 June]

“Third level institutions will find it difficult to cater to the demand from Erasmus students who are opting to study in Ireland instead of the UK due to Brexit, the Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU has heard …” (more)

[Aine Kenny, Irish Times, 31 May]

“The ‘lion’s share’ of this year’s 7,000 additional CAO applicants are coming from the EU, according to Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh, the chair of the CAO. Approximately 5,000 of the additional applications have come from the EU. The increases may be related to Brexit, as the UK, in comparison, has seen a major drop in EU applicants …” (more)

[Cormac Watson, University Times, 31 May]

“Earlier this week, professors and PhD students alike expressed outrage at the Ussher PhD positions being offered by College for next year. The positions – which require a first-class degree, a personal statement, a research proposal and two references – provide a stipend of just €13,000 with tuition paid for only three out of the four years of the programme …” (more)

[University Times, 30 May]

“Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure justice for international students who have had their education in Ireland affected by the Covid-19 crisis but who are being refused refunds on any fees by the university, specifically in the case of a university (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 27 May]

“Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that postgraduate business students at the University of Limerick will not receive a refund for the cost of the international study module which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, including flights and accommodation covered by the fees of their course; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 26 May]