Ninth Level Ireland

“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]

“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]

“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]

“Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if Irish students will be able to avail of SUSI grants post Brexit to study at universities in Northern Ireland and the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 12 November]

“Thousands of third-level students are due to get refunds or credit notes worth up to €250 over the coming weeks. The once-off payments – worth a total of €50 million – are aimed at compensating students for the move towards greater online learning this year. Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris told an Oireachtas education committee on Thursday that those eligible for the refunds would be undergraduate students who have paid the €3,000 student registration fee or who are in receipt of Susi grants …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 12 November]

“Labour Spokesperson on Higher Education Senator Annie Hoey has said that students who were in receipt of the PUP this year were put at a disadvantage in their SUSI applications, as the grant application process did not account for government support payment …” (more)

[Julia Bochenek, Trinity News, 25 October]

“Students from Trinity are among the least likely to receive a Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant in a comparison of students around the country. According to a recent report by the Department of Public Expenditure, students from Trinity, University College Dublin (UCD) and the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) are the least likely to receive grant-aid, with only 5-25% being entitled to receive Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grants …” (more)

[Shannon Connolly, Trinity News, 22 October]

“Fergus O’Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional supports will be made available to college students who have paid full college fees but are advised to remain home under Covid-19 guidelines; if supports will be made available for students who have paid accommodation fees up front; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 15 October]

“When colleges closed their doors last March, many students were forced to move back to their hometowns to complete the academic year online. With most of these students staying in their locality from March until September, many of their part-time jobs allocated them more hours to help deal with the surge in demand from the coronavirus pandemic …” (more)

[Conor Brummell, SIN, 13 October]

“In June, a new dawn broke for universities. They finally had a government department for themselves – a seat at the cabinet table – and a real chance of concrete reform for the sector. And, on the whole, summer had been a hopeful time for the sector. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris had proven an energetic figure, indicating that he felt higher education needed to be rejigged – and that funding was a priority …” (more)

[Cormac Watson, University Times, 13 October]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins TD have today announced a series of new measures as part of Budget 2021. The package includes …” (more)

[MerrionStreet.ie, 13 October]

“All full-time third-level students are to receive a €250 payment in the coming year to help compensate for the move towards greater online learning. It is one of a number of education measures set to be unveiled in Budget 2021 including the hiring of 565 additional teachers to bring the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level to a record low …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 13 October]

“Insufficient data is being collected to determine the full income of thousands of students who are in receipt of third level grants, according to a new spending review. A report by the Department of Public Expenditure shows the State is spending about €360 million per year to a total of 77,000 students in further and higher education …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 6 October]

“Sinn Féin spokesperson for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Rose Conway-Walsh TD has called on the government to take immediate action to support students to make it to third-level by cutting fees and increasing SUSI supports …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 14 September]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of expanding eligibility for mature independents maintenance grants to include all mature applicants that have been forced to live with their parents for financial reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 September]

“Student registration fees are ‘too high’ and will be looked at over the lifetime of the Government, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said. As students prepare for the college year, he insisted the Susi grant system will be flexible to ‘take on board if a family’s income has changed due to Covid-19’ …” (more)

[Catherine Devine, Independent, 1 September]

“The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has said he is committed to working to reduce third level fees. Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Simon Harris said the registration fee for students is ‘too high’ and he would like to see fees addressed during his tenure as minister …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 31 August]

“Students should be refunded for accommodation if another Covid-19 lockdown forces the closure of colleges, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris has said …” (more)

[Dominic McGrath, TheJournal.ie, 31 August]