“Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention been drawn to the steep increase in on-campus student accommodation costs in UCD; if he has had any engagement with UCD or the university’s student union on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 17 June]
“Mayo Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers has called on the Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris to intervene and stop University College Dublin charging €8,059 rent for student accommodation for the coming academic year …” (more)
[Connaught Telegraph, 16 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]
“The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, have today (9th June 2021) announced new student rental protections. Under the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021 any upfront payment upon the commencement of a tenancy will be restricted to a total value that does not exceed two months’ rent ie a deposit and one month rent in advance …” (more)
[gov.ie, 9 June]
“The announcement last week that students would be cut from the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) from September 7th – before all other workers in the country – was both unfair and financially painful for college-goers. After the Irish Daily Mail reported on an unnamed government minister making comments about students ‘lying in bed and enjoying the PUP grant’ a few weeks ago, it was clear that cuts could well have been on the horizon …” (more)
[University Times, 7 June]
“Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of widening access to student assistance fund supports for students that have exceeded four years of their PhD; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 1 June]
“The end to the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) for students all started with an inflammatory article in the Irish Daily Mail almost a month ago. Government bigwigs – all speaking on the condition of anonymity – launched a scathing attack on college-goers that claimed the payment …” (more)
[Cormac Watson, University Times, 1 June]
“Professors and PhD students have expressed their displeasure with Ussher PhD positions offered for next year, arguing that the conditions attached – a €13,000 stipend with tuition paid for three out of four years – narrow the pool of potential candidates …” (more)
[Jody Druce, University Times, 24 May]
“He also said the Government will be outlining a roadmap to begin removing emergency payments at the end of the month. Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has condemned comments made by an unnamed Minister last week regarding students in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) …” (more)
[Clara Kelly, Joe.ie, 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]
“Rent rose in the fourth quarter of 2020 in all counties, bar Dublin – which saw a 3% decline. One may speculate as to why – loss of students, people moving to countryside home offices or a plethora of other reasons. But what happens when these factors kickback? How, most importantly for readers, will student rents be affected? …” (more)
[Conor Bergin, College Tribune, 13 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]
“The Minister for Social Protection has confirmed to RTÉ News that Mayo student Catherine Gallagher will not lose her disability allowance as a result of winning a PhD scholarship …” (more)
[Teresa Mannion, RTÉ News, 9 March]
“The Students Union at NUI Galway is voicing its support for a new bill aimed at protecting student renters during the pandemic. The proposed bill is supported by Sinn Fein, Social Democrats, Labour Party, Solidarity-People Before Profit and Independents for Change …” (more)
[Galway Bay FM, 25 February]
“The Union of Students (USI) in Ireland has called on the Oireachtas to pass a Bill being tabled on Thursday that would force landlords to return prepaid rents to students who cannot live in the accommodation due to public health restrictions. The Residential Tenancies (Student Rents and Other Protections) (Covid-19) Bill 2021 would also enable students to terminate contracts on accommodation they no longer need because of Covid-19 …” (more)
[Colin Gleeson, Irish Times, 25 February]
“Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD and spokesperson on Higher Education Rose Conway-Walsh TD have commented on the launch of the Residential Tenancies (Student Rents and Other Protections) (Covid-19) Bill 2021. The Bill has been signed by 56 opposition TDs and was launched with the USI today …” (more)
[Sinn Féin, 25 February]
“‘This literally can’t go on. At some point we’re going to have to take to the streets, lockdown or no lockdown.’ If you’re as active on Irish Twitter as I am, you’ll have seen these tweets frequently over the past while. After the Mother and Baby Homes debacle, after the government tried to push CETA through while our backs were turned, after the relaxing of restrictions before Christmas led to a lockdown at Christmas and hundreds of deaths etc …” (more)
[Tara Nic Giolla Seanáin, University Times, 24 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]
