Ninth Level Ireland

“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]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, has confirmed a new working group will be established to examine how to enhance student wellbeing. The group will be chaired by the Union of Students in Ireland and will be tasked with identifying, refining and implementing strategies to enhance learner engagement and wellbeing …” (more)

[gov.ie, 14 January]

“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has called on third-level institutions to mitigate any potential educational disadvantages faced by students with the introduction of increased measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus …” (more)

[Emer Moreau, University Times, 6 January]

“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]

“Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Council has voted in favour of a campaign to lobby the government to increase financial support for Graduate Entry Medicine students. Delegates from TCDSU who attend the Union of Students In Ireland (USI) National Council and USI Congress are to put forward motions at meetings of those bodies to establish a nationwide USI campaign to lower GEM tuition fees …” (more)

[Audrey Brown, Trinity News, 24 November]

“In late September, hundreds of students gathered at Spanish Arch in Galway. They were widely condemned for breaching Covid-19 regulations. While student leaders say large gatherings and house parties should not have happened, they point out that the vast majority of students are quietly giving up at least a chunk of their student years to support the battle against coronavirus – and getting little credit for it …” (more)

[Peter McGuire, Irish Times, 24 November]

“Dr Brian Maguire, Director of Quality Assurance at Quality and Qualifications Ireland, and Kevin McStravock, Deputy President and VP for Academic Affairs for the Union of Students in Ireland, discuss e-learning and contract cheating …” (audio)

[RTÉ – Drivetime, 18 November]

“Universities risk reputational damage due to ‘extravagant’ fees being charged at a time when most learning has shifted online, a seminar organised by the Irish Council for International Students has heard. While domestic undergraduate students pay fees of up to €3,000 a year, the cost can rise to €25,000 for international students or €55,000 for medical students from abroad …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 17 November]

“Minister for Further Education Simon Harris said the state’s current policy on student accommodation and housing is ‘not working’ when speaking to the Oireachtas Education Committee to discuss the establishment of the Munster Technological University (MTU) …” (more)

[Iseult O’Callaghan, College Tribune, 17 November]

“Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Council has passed a motion mandating the union’s President Eoin Hand and International Officer Patrick O’Mahony to lobby against annual three to five per cent fee increases for international students. The motion was proposed by a group of 10 students …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 27 October]

“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]

“Holly Cairns TD, Social Democrats spokesperson for Further and Higher Education, has called on the Government to immediately address the impact of Level 5 restrictions on third level students …” (more)

[Elaine Murphy, TheCork.ie, 21 October]

“A spokesperson for Cut the Rent TCD, speaking to Trinity News, has confirmed that the activist group will ‘not be able to’ organize a rent strike for the upcoming year. The campaign group was set up last September with an aim to fight the rising costs of student accommodation in Dublin …” (more)

[Shannon Connolly, Trinity News, 18 October]

“A number of third-level stakeholders have expressed disappointment over Budget 2021, which was announced earlier today. Some €3.3 billion was allocated to the Department of Further and Higher Education under Budget 2021 – up from €2.8 billion last year – which includes a €50 million fund to assist third-level students experiencing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic …” (more)

[Molly Furey, University Times, 13 October]

“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has said that the government has ‘ignored the systemic barriers preventing students from accessing higher education’. In a statement published in reaction to the announcement of the government budget for 2021, USI said that these barriers can ‘only be addressed through continuous financial support and not through one-off funding packages’ …” (more)

[Patrick Coyle, Trinity News, 13 October]

“Trinity have said that they are reviewing the possibility of offering refunds to students who have paid for college owned accommodation but are not now using that accommodation due to classes being moved online. Speaking to Trinity News, a College spokesperson said: ‘Trinity is currently reviewing its policies in relation to such refunds and more information will be available shortly’ …” (more)

[Finn Purdy and Shannon Connolly, Trinity News, 13 October]

“Budget 2021 will be announced in the Dáil on Tuesday. Following on from a tumultuous year in the higher education sector, organisations have been lobbying intensively for the supports they think the sector needs …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty and Cormac Watson, University Times, 12 October]

“What does a university campus sound like without its 17,000 students? Well, apart from a student rolling the odd suitcase through otherwise deserted courtyards on their way to the bus stop, it’s pretty silent. I headed out to the University of Limerick (UL), my own alma mater, to see what a college campus looks like under the current Covid restrictions …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 11 October]