Ninth Level Ireland

“This week, eight students spoke with The University Times about a culture of intimidation and fear at Trinity Hall during the coronavirus pandemic. Students are facing evictions and threats of fines worth hundreds of euros if they break the complex’s strict rules, making residents feel afraid, unwelcome and as if they are in ‘prison’ …” (more)

[University Times, 18 October]

“The National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework has been launched by Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris, in response to the growing concern surrounding student mental health and suicide, especially in the wake of COVID-19 isolation and uncertainty …” (more)

[Iseult O’Callaghan, College Tribune, 15 October]

“Surprisingly, university students without pre-existing mental health concerns seem to be suffering greater psychological distress during the pandemic than their peers with pre-existing mental health problems according to a study of close to 800 university students in Toronto carried out by researchers from McGill and University of Toronto …” (more)

[AlphaGalileo, 25 September]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, has today announced a comprehensive financial package of €5 million to support students’ wellbeing and mental health …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 24 August]

“There were sniggers this week as Trinity reported an increase in applicants due to Normal People’s romanticism of Irish university life. Most of the Twitter mockery was justified; Marianne’s Victorian townhouse, for instance, is certainly far from your average Dublin student accommodation. But there is one aspect of Irish student life which the show really nailed on the head: Connell’s appalling mental health …” (more)

[Bláthnaid Corless, College Tribune, 13 July]

“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has expressed concern about the lack of a plan to reduce Irish student fees in the programme for government put forward by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and the Green Party this week. In a statement issued today, USI said that while some elements of the programme were promising, there was a lack of detail on how a number of actions will be taken …” (more)

[Patrick Coyle, Trinity News, 18 June]

The full (draft) Programme is here; extracts related to third level are here.

“Residents living near University College Cork have called on the HSE and gardaí to use powers available under health legislation to stop students and others having house parties. Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas Residents Association spokeswoman Catherine Clancy said the gardaí and the HSE should use the 1947 Health Act to stop parties in the area in the interest of public health …” (more)

[Barry Roche, Irish Times, 8 June]

“The health of family members and employment uncertainty are the biggest worries third-level students in Ireland have amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new survey. The online survey was conducted by GradIreland from 25 March to 1 April and 716 university students responded …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 14 April]

“University College Cork (UCC) has confirmed its second case of Covid-19. Students were informed via email that a student has contracted the virus and contact tracing is underway. They did not specify the department the student was in. They said anyone deemed to have had close contact with the student is being contacted directly by HSE Public Health and people do not need to make contact with them …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 18 March]

“Students unable to make travel arrangements to get home can extend their deadline for moving out of Trinity’s accommodation, Provost Patrick Prendergast has said …” (more)

[Emer Moreau and Donal MacNamee, University Times, 17 March]

“Students living in Trinity College Dublin accommodation have described the university’s decision to shut student housing and force residents to vacate rooms within 24 hours notice as ‘egregious’. The decision was taken in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus among students living in close-quartered accommodation …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 17 March]

“University College Dublin (UCD) is to open one of its libraries on campus for students without internet or laptop access at home, despite a two-week shutdown of schools and colleges ordered in response to the coronavirus outbreak …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 17 March]

“College’s decision to give its student residents so little notice of their eviction is hard to fathom. By now, life as we know it is well on the way towards changing beyond recognition, as the coronavirus sows chaos in almost every sector of Irish society …” (more)

[University Times, 17 March]

“Contact tracing activities are underway after a case of COVID-19 was identified in a person who had visited UCC. According to a statement on the University’s website and on its social media channels, the individual had visited the Western Gateway Building on the Western Road in recent days …” (more)

[EchoLive, 17 March]

“Politicians have criticised a decision to remove students from university accommodation with 24 hours notice. Trinity College in Dublin took the decision yesterday that all students must leave campus accommodation, Trinity Halls, and other linked private student accommodation in an effort to tackle the coronavirus …” (more)

[Aoife Moore, Irish Examiner, 17 March]

“The president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has criticised Trinity’s decision to instruct students to leave College accommodation this week, calling the move ‘extremely concerning’ …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 16 March]

“Preparations are underway at Ulster University to allow students and staff to work from home in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Universities in the South of Ireland and in other parts of the world have taken the decision to facilitate home study in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak …” (more)

[Garrett Hargan, Derry Now, 16 March]

“Trinity Dublin has told all its students living on campus that they must go home, other than in very exceptional cases. The dramatic move comes tonight as college authorities confirm that it is aware of at least eight confirmed cases of coronavirus in Trinity, with many more students and staff self-isolating …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 16 March]

“Three more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed among Trinity staff and students, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in Trinity to eight. The three additional cases were listed on Trinity’s website this evening …” (more)

[Trinity News, 16 March]