“Students who have arrived in College accommodation but decide to return home for semester two between January 24th and February 28th will only be charged to the date that they leave their room, Trinity announced this evening …” (more)
[Cormac Watson, University Times, 20 January]
“Almost 17,000 laptops have been delivered to third-level students throughout Ireland as part of a publicly-funded scheme to facilitate online learning during the pandemic. The 16,700 Dell laptops were funded under a €168 million scheme announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris, for third level institutions and students …” (more)
[Ciara O’Brien, Irish Times, 19 January]
“Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of individual laptops purchased as part of the laptop scheme for third level students announced in August 2020; the total cost of purchasing those laptops; the form of needs assessment carried out prior to purchase; if colleges or universities were consulted as part of the needs assessment; the specific colleges or universities; the number of laptops issued to each third level institution; and the number of laptops issued to students per third level institution in tabular form …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 13 January]
“In a recent email to students, UCD has stated that ‘all full-time EU undergraduate and postgraduate students’ registered for this academic year are to receive the COVID-19 once-off emergency grant of €250 before February 28. This comes four months after the initial announcement that students were to receive such payment …” (more)
[Casey Conway, College Tribune, 14 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]
“Every year, The Irish Times asks third-level institutions to provide us with a cost-of-living guide for incoming first-year students. Because of the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit – and the fallout that is yet to fully settle – these figures will have changed by September 2021 …” (more)
[Irish Times, 12 January]
“A representative group for Trinity students living in rental accommodation has been established, aiming to secure concessions from College on accommodation. Trinity College Dublin Renters’ Union (TCDRU) states on its social media that it aims to ‘give a voice to all student renters’ and “support students to stand up for themselves” and has begun signing up members …” (more)
[Jack Kennedy, Trinity News, 3 January]
“In March, the Government was forced to act quickly when it was faced with a growing health and economic crisis that is likely to be remembered as a historic event. The then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, announced that all non-essential retail was to close along with cafes, bars and restaurants. Ireland had entered lockdown and with that significant step, the state had taken on the responsibility to pay the wages of hundreds of thousands of people …” (more)
[Paul Ralph, Trinity News, 29 December]
“Queen’s University has given more than 1,200 rent holidays to students moving out of its accommodation for 13 weeks over the second Covid-19 wave – however, there are now calls for the contract suspension to continue …” (more)
[Peter Moor, Belfast Telegraph, 25 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]
“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]
“University students across Ireland have expressed frustration in relation to student accommodations and the circumstances surrounding Covid-19. Vice-President for Welfare of the Union of Students Ireland Clare Austick said there has been an increase in number of student seeking help regarding accommodation …” (more)
[Gracius Ehienomen Godwin, Limerick Voice, 3 December]
“The President of NUI Galway has called for more resources for students in need. Representatives are before TDs and Senators at the Oireachtas Higher Education Committee today on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic …” (more)
[Galway Bay FM, 3 December]
“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]
“We are living in a world with a growing housing crisis around the student population; something that is troubling to young people, parents, and guardians as a problem once someone reaches third-level education …” (more)
[Conor Capplis and others, College Tribune, 23 November]
“Students have never exactly been at the forefront of governmental worries. For a government long-submerged by a variety of under-funded sectors of society, issues facing higher education institutions and students have found themselves collecting dust on the shelves of governments of past and present …” (more)
[Faye Curran, University Times, 21 November]
“Students have expressed feelings of having been “misled into securing accommodation” despite the move of most learning online in a new report published by Sinn Fein. Sinn Féin Higher and Further Education Spokesperson Rose Conway-Walsh has published the results of the Sinn Féin Student Accommodation Survey 2020 …” (more)
[Connie Roughan, Trinity News, 21 November]
“Niall Collins, Junior Education Minister, talks to Cormac about the €50 million scheme launched today to help third level students …” (audio)
[RTÉ – Drivetime, 19 November]
“Up to 200,000 third level students will be able to claim special €250 payments – brought in because of the Covid-19 pandemic – before Christmas. The Irish Independent has learned the scheme, which will be formally launched by Higher Education Minister Simon Harris today, will also include postgraduate students …” (more)
[Cormac McQuinn, Independent, 19 November]
