Results 1,261-1,280 of 1,170,500 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív5 OR speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:Pippa Hackett OR speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Francis Noel Duffy OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Noel Grealish OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív15 OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh24 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh18 OR speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh23 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh29 OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh14 OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív11 OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh02 OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív06 OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh22 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh06 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh17 OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív58 OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Matt Carthy) in 'Committee meetings'

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Another big issue that comes up a great deal is independence and proof of independence. I am not exactly sure, to be totally frank, how to change that. However, the whole issue of independence and people trying but not being able to prove their independence to get a grant s probably one of the main issues that I come across when it comes to SUSI. Do witnesses agree that is an issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: There was not a massive amount of change in the SUSI grants in the budget. Some of the thresholds changed. I asked the Minister how many students that would impact. He said about 3,000. If I am not mistaken, there are 15,000 in Galway alone, so it is impacting a very small number of people. Has USI noticed more and more that while people might think at the start that they are able to go...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: It is huge. I was contacted by a PhD researcher. Researchers do not pay tax on their stipend and are not able to get the renter's tax credit. Has USI raised that with the Department of Finance?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: In the future, though it should be immediate, we need to figure out what exactly affordable student accommodation is. Everybody needs to come together. I know we are waiting on the student accommodation strategy, which USI has raised countless times with me and, I am sure, with the Minister. It is frustrating that we still do not have that. We need to bring USI, the Department, Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: My time is up. I thank the witnesses. They do significant work, which is stressful because they are dealing with people in serious crisis situations. It is trying to figure out how to help them. In many cases, unfortunately, there is very little help for people. Fair play to USI. I look forward to joining the witnesses on their protest.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I echo Deputy Farrell's comment about the great work that USI does. I thank the witnesses for coming and sharing their insights and experiences. It is extremely important to us as committee members to hear people who are much closer to the issues than we are. It has been very beneficial. We will suspend for a changing of the guard, to let the witnesses from USI out and the departmental...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: On behalf of the committee I welcome Mr. Keith Moynes, assistant secretary, higher education policy division; Ms Ann Gorman, principal officer, higher education policy division; and Mr. Éamonn Dunnican, principal officer, corporate services and capital division, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; and Mr. Philip Connolly, director of services;...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank Mr. Moynes and call Deputy Jim O'Callaghan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I am sorry that I was delayed. I have another committee meeting as well. The main issue that consistently comes up from students is accommodation. How many have dropped out at this point because they are unable to get accommodation? If they do not have the data for this year, are the numbers for last year available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Is USI going to compile it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I want to return to the issue of purpose-built accommodation. Mr. Dunican can remain in the hot seat despite his recent appointment. A key issue is around a borrowing framework for technological universities. All of the universities Mr. Dunican outlined are universities rather than technological universities. I am obviously speaking from a particular bias where South East Technological...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We were given to understand, or certainly I was as a Member of the Oireachtas, that we were a lot closer. In terms of the process Mr. Moynes is talking about, are we still 12, 18, 24 months away from finding a way to a resolution?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We have got those courses but there have been no build projects as of yet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is very badly needed. SETU is a particular example in that it functions as the university for the south east. We do not have a second option. On the make-up of the 30% at below market rates, the term "cost rental" is thrown around to such a degree that it is difficult to understand what it actually means. I have heard it applied to purpose-built student accommodation. I do not know...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: There are concerns because, as we have seen with purpose-built student accommodation developed off campus, although perhaps not with that developed on campus, it can be much more expensive than standard accommodation. Very often, it is aimed at those coming here from abroad. The funding model in our third level institutions sees people coming from outside of the EU as the cash cow that pays...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I understand that. My time is running out, but I will allow myself a little bit of leeway. I want to speak about one of the issues the USI has raised. It arises when students have part-time jobs and, in particular, when they go away for the summer. In any earning situation, it is very difficult to limit yourself to a certain threshold. If I take a given number of shifts over three...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: In the work SUSI does with students, does it hear of this issue arising often? How often does SUSI run into this issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the officials for coming here today. This briefing has been informative and beneficial. This joint committee is adjourned until 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 5 November, when we will meet in private session followed by a public session. I remind Deputies that a meeting of the select committee will take place this Thursday at 1.30 p.m.