“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and the Irish Universities Association (IUA) have expressed disappointment Budget 2022, arguing that more needs to be done for the third-level sector …” (more)
[Mairead Maguire, University Times, 12 October]
“The first increase in student grants in more than a decade will be announced in tomorrow’s Budget. Agreement has been reached on raising grant levels as well as changing the eligibility criteria to allow more students to fall within qualifying income thresholds …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 11 October]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is to call for the student contribution charge to be reduced by €1,000 in its submission to the government ahead of Budget 2022 …” (more)
[Mairead Maguire, University Times, 5 October]
“The two main news stories at the forefront of student housing affairs this week appear side by side as a strange oxymoron. Firstly, the news that Dublin City Council granted permission for over 1,000 student beds to be offered as short-term lets this year. Accompanying this are grim accounts of a sleepout organised by the Union of Students Ireland (USI) outside the Dáil, protesting the crisis shortage of student accommodation …” (more)
[Caoimhe Weakliam, University Times, 25 September]
“The Department of Further and Higher Education has said it will host a meeting of college presidents next week to discuss the student accommodation issue. The department said it has been engaging with the Department of Housing on a number of issues, including the use of privately-owned student accommodation being used for other purposes …” (more)
[Samantha Libreri, RTÉ News, 24 September]
“The Government must declare shortages of student housing and high rents an emergency as students consider deferring or dropping out of college, the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) has said. Students held a demonstration outside the Dáil on Wednesday as part of an overnight sleep-out and campaign dubbed ‘No Keys, No Degrees’ to put pressure on the Government to take urgent action …” (more)
[Simon Carswell, Irish Times, 23 September]
“The Union of Students in Ireland is to demonstrate outside the Dáil and sleep out overnight to urge the Government to address shortages in student accommodation. It said students are being forced to defer or drop out of their third-level courses …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 23 September]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) will stage a sleepout protest in front of the Dáil on Thursday, calling for government action on the student accommodation crisis. The union is calling for additional funding and planning for purpose-built student accommodation, no new course places to be given without living spaces provided, legislation to retain student accommodation beds and as the introduction of rent controls …” (more)
[Jody Druce, University Times, 21 September]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has condemned the lack of accommodation for students returning to campuses, saying some are dropping out as they cannot find somewhere to live. The union said in a press statement today that one student union has reported receiving over 100 requests for help a day on its accommodation Facebook page …” (more)
[Emer Moreau, University Times, 15 September]
“The Government must provide funding to aid third-level institutions in delivering purpose-built student accommodation, according to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). As students return to campus for the autumn semester over the coming weeks, the shortage of accommodation is once again proving to be a major issue in parts of the country …” (more)
[Muireann Duffy, BreakingNews.ie, 7 September]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has said that SUSI recipients will struggle financially at the start of term due to the late date of the first payment of the grant. Recipients will not receive the first instalment of the maintenance grant until October 8th – several weeks after college begins for most …” (more)
[Mairead Maguire, University Times, 24 August]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has written an open letter to higher-education institutions asking for the return of in-person graduation ceremonies. The ‘Give Us Our Grad’ campaign will see students’ unions across Ireland write to the heads of their institutions to allow graduands to mark the milestone on campus …” (more)
[Mairead Maguire, University Times, 19 August]
“Frank Jones, General Secretary of IFUT; Dr Tomás Ryan, Associate Professor in TCD School of Biochemistry and Immunology; and Claire Austick, President USI, debate whether vaccinations should be mandatory for returning third level students …” (audio)
[RTÉ – Drivetime, 11 August]
“Many stakeholders in higher education seem to think that college-owned accommodation is synonymous with low-cost accommodation. In an interview last week, President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) Clare Austick argued that ‘if colleges have their [own] accommodation there will be a reduced cost’ – but is this really accurate? …” (more)
[University Times, 2 August]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has called on the government to include provisions for colleges to provide their own student accommodation instead of relying on private, college-affiliated accommodation. Speaking on Newstalk’s Lunchtime Live yesterday, USI President Clare Austick said: ‘We want to see a clear commitment and urgent action from the government to commit to a plan on accommodation to ensure that people all across the country have access to accommodation’ …” (more)
[Emer Moreau, University Times, 27 July]
“Many student houses are cold and half of them have a daily problem with mould, according to new research. The study, entitled Temperature profiles of private rental housing occupied by third-level students in Ireland and carried out by researchers at NUI Galway, found many occupants were living in properties where the temperature was below recommended levels …” (more)
[Noel Baker, Irish Examiner, 22 July]
“Sinn Féin spokesperson on Law Reform, Pa Daly TD, has called for strict enforcement of the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021 which came into operation on 9th July 2021, following a USI bill brought forward by Sinn Féin and 56 other opposition TDs. Teachta Daly said …” (more)
[Sinn Féin, 16 July]
“Re: Urgent need to support the Health Insurance (International Students) (Amendment) Bill 2021. Dear Minister Donnelly, On behalf of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and our members this is an urgent appeal to you to support the Health Insurance (International Students) (Amendment) Bill 2021 …” (more)
[USI, 28 June]
“The Union of Students in Ireland welcomes the plan published today, which aims to re-open campuses and have most third-level activity back on site from the start of the new academic year. Along with getting students back into lectures and classrooms, that the plan also allows for the reopening of libraries, cafes, canteens and bars, as well as the restarting of club, society and sporting activity is particularly welcome …” (more)
[USI, 15 June]
“A restricted and socially distanced demonstration calling for the abolition of student fees was held by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) outside the Kildare Street gates of Leinster House today at 11am. Students were not asked to attend the demonstration in-person as a result of the current public health restrictions …” (more)
[Bella Salerno, Trinity News, 31 May]
