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]

“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]

“Launched in the opening days of the new year, the newly formed TCD Renter’s Union (TCDRU) has attracted hundreds of followers across their three social media platforms in the first few weeks of its existence. On these platforms, the TCDRU states its mission ‘to give a voice to all student renters’, and lists among its aims a 25% reduction in rent for this academic year as well as a permanent 10% reduction, as well as a commitment that students who terminate their accommodation during the pandemic will not incur financial penalty …” (more)

[David Wolfe, Trinity News, 19 February]

“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]

“Almost 40,000 students at university or in full time education in Northern Ireland will receive a one off £500 payment to mitigate against the disruption caused by Covid-19. The scheme will cost £22 million and students have been told they can expect payment before the end of March …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 4 February]

“Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention had been drawn to the taxable nature of the €250 SUSI rebate given in November 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 3 February]

“Student doctors who put their lives on the line during the Covid pandemic are not getting a £2,000 bonus being given to other health service trainees. Last week, Health Minister Robin Swann announced that nurses in Northern Ireland are to receive a £500 ‘special recognition’ payment for their work during the pandemic, while some student nurses will get £2,000 …” (more)

[Lisa Smyth, Belfast Telegraph, 4 February]

“I spent my Christmas break like most students: eating, drinking and defending the likelihood that I get a job with an arts degree to my family. A mostly comfortable existence after the flurry of first semester. Skipping right over exams (because who needs reminding), I came to what I call ‘application season’ …” (more)

[Mairead Maguire, University Times, 2 February]

“Holding landlords accountable and creating a lasting presence on campus were some of the key issues explored at the first meeting of Trinity College Dublin Renters’ Union this evening. The union also addressed the structure of the organisation, its aims and wider links to the Community Action Tenants’ Union (CATU) …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 28 January]

“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]

“The university has released a statement following calls from Students’ Union leaders to remove such repeat fees and also to give students the option to repeat exams if they feel they could have achieved better grades in normal circumstances. In a statement released by the University, it says students who are in the most need of financial support can apply for a fee waiver …” (more)

[Galway Bay FM, 26 January]

“Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein): It will come as no surprise to the Minister of State to hear me say that I believe in a publicly-funded model of third level education and moving towards the complete removal of fees. Universities and colleges have been underfunded for over a decade, forcing them to find money in the private sector or to charge international students huge fees …” (more)

[Seanad debates, 26 January]

“The €250 ‘once-off credit’ given to students before Christmas is subject to a €50 tax claw back for up to 33,200 students. A fee refund of €250 was given to students of third level institutions before Christmas to compensate for the lack of on-campus teaching after being announced in Budget 2021 …” (more)

[Hugh Dooley, College Tribune, 25 January]