Ninth Level Ireland

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the contribution currently made by the Higher Education Authority towards graduate entry medicine per student; the cost of increasing the HEA contribution towards graduate entry medicine tuition fees by €5,000 and €10,000 per student, respectively based on the latest available student numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 6 May]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the data provided on foot of a recent freedom of information request (details supplied); the analysis his Department has carried out across third-level institutions which fall under the responsibility of his Department into the fining of students for the late payment of registration fees; if this issue will be examined as part of the ongoing review of Higher Education Authority legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dail written answers, 1 April]

“The future of fees for international students is likely to be determined by which of the three candidates in the race to be Trinity’s next provost is successful in the April election. Professors Linda Doyle, Linda Hogan and Jane Ohlmeyer took different standpoints on whether fees for non-EU students would increase under their provostship at a hustings this evening hosted by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) …” (more)

[Lauren Boland, Audrey Brown and Shannon Connolly, Trinity News, 29 March]

“Tonight, the government voted against the People Before Profit (PBP) Young People and Access to Further and Higher Education motion in the Dáil. All opposition TDs bar 8 members of the Regional Group of independents voted in favour of the bill …” (more)

[Kate Henshaw, Trinity News, 25 March]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, TD and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, TD have today announced changes to fee arrangements for students living in Direct Provision. From the start of the 2021/22 academic year, international protection applicants who have permission to work and are seeking to access Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses will no longer have to pay international fees of €3,600 …” (more)

[MerrionStreet.ie, 11 March]

“Student loans are unlikely to be used to bridge a chronic underfunding in the country’s third-level sector, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has said. Speaking at the launch of a three-year plan for his department, Mr Harris said he was committed to delivering a sustainable model to allow universities and colleges be funded adequately, especially when more and more people want to attend …” (more)

[Daniel McConnell, Irish Examiner, 8 March]

“Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the fee arrangements that will be in place for Irish students attending Scottish universities in autumn 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 4 March]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if support will continue to be provided through the free fees initiative and SUSI grants for students that have to repeat a year due to the impact of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 4 March]

“This week marked the one year anniversary since Mary Naughton, founder of the UCD Post-Graduate Workers Alliance (PGWA) marched on a meeting of University management to present their demands, along with the backing of an emboldened Students’ Union …” (more)

[Rosie Kuntz, College Tribune, 26 February]

“UCDSU President Conor Anderson and Welfare Officer Ruairí Power met with the Registrar and Deans on Wednesday to discuss new COVID-19 aids for students. The proposed accommodations include waiving resit fees, uncapped resit grades, and the automatic right to resit an assessment or exam in August. The College Tribune met with Ruairí Power to discuss how the meeting went, his rationale for pursuing these measures, and the likelihood of their passing …” (more)

[Rosie Roberts Kuntz, College Tribune, 21 February]

“Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to higher education institutions charging gym fees for the current academic year despite the lack of access to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 18 February]

“Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if leaving certificate 2020 students who have been awarded an upgraded college course having received a higher leaving certificate after sitting the examination will be liable for the student contribution fee of €3,000 when they transfer to year one of their upgraded course in 2021; if such students are liable, his views on whether it is unfair to charge twice for year one; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 February]

“NUI Galway has come under criticism by students and NUIGSU for not waiving their €295 resit fees despite their purpose being questioned in light of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. This comes in the wake of myriad other Irish third-level institutions waiving this fee, including University College Cork, NUI Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, Athlone IT …” (more)

[Jack McGee, College Tribune, 17 February]

“The thing about pandemics, observed the historian Yuval Noah Harari, is that they tend to accelerate history. A couple of years ago, appalled by the environmental, financial and working-time costs of running research conferences, I wondered aloud how long it would take for many of these events to be conducted online – and gloomily predicted that it would take another decade …” (more)

[John Naughton, Guardian, 13 February]

“Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if pro rata refunds of registration fees for student services will be issued by third level institutions to students who have not been on campus to avail of such services; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 11 February]

“NUI Galway has once again come under fire for its €295 exam repeat fee. Students who need to repeat an exam have to pay a flat fee of €295, and repeating one exam costs the same as repeating six. NUI Galway Students’ Union has criticised the fee, saying that the majority of the repeat exams will take place off-campus and students will be using their own laptops …” (more)

[Aine Kenny, Irish Examiner, 10 February]

“During the first week of the current Students’ Union term in July, the issue of repeat fees emerged much like every issue, it started by raising it with university management. Before our term, it had been sought several times with the indication that the fees wouldn’t be charged. We believed that NUI Galway would be like nearly every other institution in the country and waive repeat fees. This wasn’t the case and they planned on charging them …” (more)

[Pádraic Toomey, SIN, 9 February]

“Verona Murphy (Wexford, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of tuition fees; if these fees have been finalised for Irish students considering their options to take up third level education in a UK university for the 2021-22 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 3 February]

“Over 2,000 Trinity students have signed a students’ union petition calling for a reduction to the annual contribution charge. 2,400 students have signed the petition from Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) which is calling on the government to reduce the student contribution charge of €3,000 …” (more)

[Lauren Boland, Trinity News, 3 February]

“Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on calls by students and student unions to reduce university fees by 30% given that students are under severe financial pressure with the current Covid-19 pandemic to afford their college course; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 27 January]