Ninth Level Ireland

“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]

“Renewal applications for the student grant scheme for the 2021-22 academic year will open on Thursday, while a number of improvements have been made for the most disadvantaged students, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has said. These include an increase in the postgraduate fee grant and an increase in the income threshold, while a number of Department of Social Protection and other payments are to be included as income disregards …” (more)

[Colin Gleeson, Irish Times, 1 April]

“An overhaul of the student grant scheme is to be announced today. Among the changes are an increase in the postgraduate fee grant and qualifying income threshold. The scheme opens for renewal applications today. The changes to the SUSI scheme are effective for the coming 2021/22 academic year …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 1 April]

“The Department of Higher Education has launched a public consultation reviewing SUSI, with submissions closing on April 16th. The terms of reference of the public consultation include reviewing SUSI eligibility criteria, reviewing income thresholds, review of the SUSI maintenance grant, comparison of student supports with other European countries, examination of costs for postgraduate students and determining the real cost of attending higher education in Ireland …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 18 March]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris today welcomed the start of a public consultation on the review of the Student Grant Scheme. This Review was committed to under the current Programme for Government and announced as part of Budget 2021 …” (more)

[gov.ie, 12 March]

“Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if pandemic unemployment payments will be assessed as reckonable income for special rates of SUSI grants in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 10 February]

“The IUA welcomes today’s announcement by Minister Simon Harris TD, of an investment of €3.2m in 2021 to address the funding gap for Irish Research Council (IRC) postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers. IRC postgraduate students will now receive a stipend similar to that offered by other national funders. For IRC postdoctoral researchers, this now brings their salaries in line with those agreed under the National Researcher Career Framework, recently published by the IUA …” (more)

[IUA, 29 January]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today (29 January 2021) announced an increase in the value of the Irish Research Council’s research scholarships and fellowships. The enhanced funding of €3.2 million to the Council will better support postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in Ireland across all disciplines …” (more)

[gov.ie, 29 January]

“Student budgets, like the rest of the world, have been thrown upside down by the pandemic. For some, the costs of living have increased because they’re out of work, still paying rent and paying higher broadband, heat and electricity bills as a result of working at home …” (more)

[Peter McGuire, Irish Times, 12 January]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has confirmed that almost 71,000 students will receive an additional €250 in their student grant payment starting today (Thursday). As part of Budget 2021, Minister Harris secured a €250 payment to all full-time EU students in publicly-funded higher education institutions to acknowledge the impact this pandemic has had on third-level students …” (more)

[gov.ie, 17 December]

“Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when students who do not avail of the SUSI grant will receive the €250 Covid-19 payment; when arrangements for payment to students who do not avail of SUSI will be finalised; and if this cohort of students will receive it before Christmas …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 16 December]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide additional information on the €20 million in budget 2021 for SUSI that will see the funding returned to 2019 levels; the projections on demand upon which this is based; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 15 December]

“Annie Hoey (Labour): I am raising the need to address the issue around higher education funding being potentially lost to students who withdraw from their courses and the knock-on consequences that this will have not only for free fees – a term I use lightly – but also for their access to Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants …” (more)

[Seanad debates, 15 December]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has announced Government approval to conduct a review of the Student Grant Scheme administered by SUSI. The review’s terms of reference include examining the value of the maintenance grants and income thresholds, the availability of grants for part-time students, adjacent and non-adjacent rates, supports for postgraduates and how Ireland compares against other jurisdictions …” (more)

[gov.ie, 14 December]

“A review of the student grant scheme for third-level students has been approved by the Cabinet, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, has said. The terms of reference for the review include examining the value of the maintenance grants and the income thresholds, the availability of grants for part-time students, supports for postgraduates and how Ireland compares against other jurisdictions …” (more)

[Colm Keena, Irish Times, 14 December]

“Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the effect Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payments will have on the entitlement of third level students to student grants; if it is planned to make changes to the income assessment process for such students; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 26 November]

“Ireland’s higher education system has been engulfed with crises for over a decade now. Students are up against countless challenges to get into and stay in college and the situation is constantly deteriorating further. Students and their struggles are not highlighted enough in the media. It is barbaric that the fourth wealthiest country in the EU somehow can’t scrounge enough money together to pay student contribution fees …” (more)

[Emma Nevin, The College View, 25 November]

“The number of students in direct provision who will qualify for the Susi grant for third level education has increased five-fold after Government changes to qualifying criteria. Last year just five students qualified for Susi (Student Universal Support Ireland) grants for either fees or maintenance or both but 25 students have qualified in the 2020/2021 academic year following a review of the support scheme …” (more)

[Marie O’Halloran, Irish Times, 23 November]

“University lecturers have warned of ‘chaos and confusion’ if there is a return to face-to-face teaching in the new year in the absence of clear health and safety rules. Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris has said he wants to boost on-campus activity for first year students, in particular, early next year amid concern over a potential rise in drop-out rates …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 22 November]

“Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael): I very much welcome the opportunity to update the House on some of the work of the new Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science just under five months on from its creation and the formation of the Government. I very much appreciate the support and interest from all sides of the Oireachtas for a new stand-alone Department to place a renewed focus on the further and higher education sectors and enhance and develop research and innovation …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 19 November]