Ninth Level Ireland

“Plans to provide funds for free antigen tests for third level students across Ireland has been welcomed by the national students union. In December, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris announced a €9 million fund for further and higher education institutions to provide free antigen tests to students across Ireland …” (more)

[Darragh Bermingham, Irish Examiner, 16 January]

“College students will be spared tens of thousands of euro in student loans and are likely to see the €3,000 registration fee reduced under plans being developed by the Government. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has won Cabinet approval to rule out a student loan scheme …” (more)

[Daniel McConnell, Irish Examiner, 22 December]

“Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to deal with the issue of student poverty and, in particular, the chronic shortage of affordable student specific accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 30 November]

“Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the student protests which took place on 23 November 2021 led by a union (details supplied): the way he plans to reduce the cost of the student contribution and student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 30 November]

“This is a time for students protests, but the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), the leading student representative group, attaching itself to an expletive-ridden campaign titled ‘Fuck the Fees’ just gives the government another excuse to dismiss the serious needs of students …” (more)

[University Times, 28 November]

“Students protested outside Leinster House on Tuesday afternoon as part of three protests across the country calling for the cost of third-level education to be decreased …” (more)

[Jade Wilson, Irish Times, 23 November]

“Students held the first of three protests across the country in Cork on Monday, to call for increased State funding of third-level education. Clare Austick, president of the Union of Students Ireland (USI), said Irish students faced ‘increasing’ costs of living, alongside the highest college fees in the European Union …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 22 November]

“Students are gearing up to take their frustration with college fees, the housing crisis, and the cost of higher education to the streets. Today marks the start of three days of regional student protests organised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and to take place in Cork, Galway, and Dublin …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 22 November]

“Students are demanding more online exams amid concerns over the safety of reopening exam halls due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. Most universities are planning a combination of in-person exams for the first time in two years as well as online assessments next month …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 21 November]

“Earlier today, the Union of Students Ireland (USI) issued a press release outlining the plans for three protests to take place on November 22, 23, and 24 in Dublin, Cork and Galway. These USI organised protests, called the ‘the Cost of College campaign’ will be held in opposition to the growing cost of higher education in Ireland …” (more)

[Kate Henshaw, Trinity News, 8 November]

“The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, has said he has agreed to put together, with the Union of Students in Ireland, an awareness campaign warning about the possible spiking of women and others with drugs in bars and nightclubs here …” (more)

[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 5 November]

“Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has said that is it disappointing that Minister for Housing appears not to have addressed the student accommodation loophole in his upcoming Residential Tenancies Bill …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 5 November]

“On 12 October, the announcement of Budget 2022 evoked mixed reactions from third-level stakeholders. It was announced that €3.7bn would be allocated to students, universities and young people in next year’s Budget …” (more)

[Bonnie Gill, Trinity News, 20 October]

“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]