Ninth Level Ireland

“Young people overwhelmingly believe in the principle of sexual consent, but sometimes feel embarrassed about raising the subject, a new study has found. A survey of college students has found 37% of female college students and 53% of male college students gave a ‘neutral’ or ‘agree’ response when asked whether asking for consent is awkward …” (more)

[Ronan McGreevy, Irish Times, 21 September]

“Depending on who you ask, you may well receive a different answer on what it means to give or receive consent. ‘It’s simple’, someone might say, ‘No means No and Yes means Yes’. But in an environment where 32% of Irish students reported they would find it difficult to tell their partner they did not want to have sex and 1 in 4 female students have experienced unwanted sexual contact …” (more)

[Jack Ryan, Trinity News, 8 November]

“The play ‘The Kinds Of Sex You Might Have At College’ targets 1st Year students. NUI Galway has organised a play that is touring universities and colleges in Ireland, with a view to developing it for second-level students and younger age groups in the future …” (more)

[Burke Broadcast, 14 October]

“A new consent campaign, targeted towards students, has been launched in Cork city this week. The campaign has been initiated in response to a spike last September in the cases of rape reported to the the Cork Sexual Violence Centre (CSVC) by students during colleges’ Fresher’s weeks …” (more)

[Alfie Fletcher, Trinity News, 10 September]

“Alumni of NUI Galway’s Drama and Theatre Studies will perform an original play, The Kinds of Sex You Might Have at College, as part of a limited national tour to Irish universities between September and October 2019 …” (more)

[NUIG, 2 September]

“Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor today came out fervently in favour of consent education in universities speaking at the launch of the Systematic Action for Gender Equality (SAGE) Charter launch today …” (more)

[Eleanor O’Mahony, University Times, 15 May]

“In a university context, we have the privileged opportunity to facilitate and support student development both academically and beyond. Traumatic incidents of sexual harassment and violence, unwanted advances and unsolicited abusive comments are a deeply ingrained societal reality and are no less prevalent among third-level students …” (more)

[Louise Crowley, University Times, 9 May]

“The Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today (5 April 2019) launched the Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions: ‘Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive – Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions’. The Framework aims to ensure the creation of an institutional campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 5 April]

“Third-level colleges are under orders to work at making their campuses free from sexual violence and harassment through the implementation of a range of measures, including offering students classes in consent and calling out unacceptable behaviour. A drive to create campuses where everyone feels safe and supported is not a ‘box-ticking’ exercise they have been told …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 5 April]

“A proposal to compel third level institutions to provide sexual consent classes or risk losing funding was floated last week after it was recommended in a Government-commissioned report. The report, which was sought by the Minister for State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor raised concerns about the levels of sexual assaults happening on Irish college campuses …” (more)

[Deborah Coleman, The Corkman, 30 March]

“More than a quarter of students at universities or colleges in Northern Ireland have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour, a survey has revealed. Over 2,200 students took part in the survey on consent and unwanted sexual behaviour, conducted by the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI) …” (more)

[Gillian Halliday, Belfast Telegraph, 28 March]

“Sir, – Carl O’Brien’s article rightly highlights the need for safer and more respectful campuses (‘Consent on campus: UCC says it is building zero tolerance to sexual harassment’, Analysis, March 19th) …” (more)

[Malachi O’Sullivan, Irish Times, 25 March]

“Research indicates that rape, sexual assault and harassment are mostly hidden problems on our college campuses. A Union of Students in Ireland report in recent years, based on a survey of more than 2,700 students, found 16% of respondents had experienced ‘unwanted sexual contact’ …” (more)

[Irish Times, 20 March]

“All third-level colleges should be obliged to provide classes on sexual consent for students or risk losing State funding, a Government-commissioned report has recommended. The report follows rising concern over the level of rape and sexual assault on college campuses …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 19 March]

“One of the most ambitious attempts to create a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to sexual harassment in Irish third level is unfolding on the campus of University College Cork (UCC). A few years ago, it began piloting a compulsory series of workshops on ‘bystander intervention’ during the first year of its law, nursing and applied psychology classes …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 19 March]

“The head of computer science at University College Dublin (UCD) has apologised after the school distributed an email from a student seeking help developing a phone app aimed at combatting women ‘retracting’ consent after sex …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 12 March]

“Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has said it is important that education and training on consent is provided by universities and colleges alongside appropriate support for those who are victims of sexual crime …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 26 February]

“An online bystander intervention programme against sexual harassment and violence was launched in University College Cork on January 28th. The programme was launched by Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor. It is an online project taught through six one-hour workshops available to 22,000 UCC students …” (more)

[Orla Dwyer, The College View, 6 February]

“Debate about what consent actually means has been a major issue in Ireland and beyond this year. NUI Galway researchers made headlines last August when they found that out of 3,500 students in Ireland, 70% said a couple who had 28 standard drinks were able to consent …” (more)

[Irish Examiner, 17 December]

“Following the news that the IRFU would provide mandatory consent classes to all professional players, Cliona Sadlier of the Rape Crisis Network told the Irish Independent: ‘You need a whole hierarchy to take responsibility, it has to go all the way up and down; you can’t just land it on the players because they are just products of that system’ …” (more)

[Martha Brennan, SIN, 6 December]