Union of Students in Ireland (USI)

USI Makes Submission to the Strategy for the Rented Sector

Posted by Union of Students in Ireland (USI) | Nov 7, 2016 | Accommodation, Featured, Housing |

USI President, Annie Hoey The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has made a submission to the Strategy for the Rented Sector. The Strategy will provide a vision of the role that the rental sector will play in the short, medium and long terms, as set out in Rebuilding Ireland. USI believes that it is crucial that affordable and secure rental accommodation is available for the needs of the diverse groups of tenants in Ireland and addresses the most pressing issues of students in the private rental market. The most prevalent problems for students in the private...

USI and Mental Health Reform Letter to Minister McEntee

Posted by Union of Students in Ireland (USI) | Nov 1, 2016 | Featured |

Dear Minister McEntee, On the 11th of October 2016, both Mental Health Reform (MHR) and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) welcomed the Government’s decision to allocate €35M in development funding as a positive step towards implementation of the national mental health policy, A Vision for Change. Disappointingly, less than one week later we learned that under half of this money, €15M, would be released to the HSE to spend in 2017. The allocation of €15m for 2017 will represent only a 1.8% investment in new developments for mental health compared to the 2016 budget. Even including the...

Irish psychoactive drugs users in 15-24 year age group are highest in Europe

Posted by Union of Students in Ireland (USI) | Oct 25, 2016 | Featured, Health |

The Union of Students of Ireland in partnership with Drugs.ie and the HSE have launched a new harm reduction information campaign aimed at people who use new psychoactive substances (NSP)*. The use of psychoactive drugs in Ireland among the 15-24 year age group is the highest in Europe (22% lifetime use). The recently released European Schools Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) from 2015 indicated that among 15-16 year olds across 35 European countries the average lifetime use was 4% while in Ireland it was almost double at 7%. Data suggests that the purity or potency...

National Youth Council of Ireland, EQUATE, and INMO back USI’s National Demo in favour of Publicly-Funded 3rd Level Education

Posted by Union of Students in Ireland (USI) | Oct 17, 2016 | #EducationIs, #futurefocus, #YesToUSI, Education, Featured, Funding |

The Union of Students in Ireland expect up to 5,000 students to join their national demonstration march this Wednesday, the 19th October, to warn the government of the impact of income contingent loans on students and young people. The National Parents Council PostPrimary, NYCI (National Youth Council of Ireland), EQUATE, TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland), Dundalk Outcomes, ARC, See Change, ReachOut, the INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation), ICTU Youth, ISSU (Irish Second-Level Students Union), the Irish Rugby Union Players Association and Youth Work Ireland are all backing USI’s national demonstration. The demonstration, which is leaving the Garden...

USI welcomes €36.5 million in third level education but emphasised that it is insufficient by €100 million

Posted by Union of Students in Ireland (USI) | Oct 12, 2016 | #EducationIs, Budget, Featured, Funding |

The Union of Students in Ireland has welcomed the allocation of €36.5 million to the third level sector in the Budget but has emphasised that the funding is insufficient by over €100 million. The union recommended spending of €140million in their pre-budget submission to reduce registration fees and increase student support. The Budget allocated €4 million to reinstate maintenance grants from September 2017 for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students. USI welcomed the reintroduction of postgraduate grants but emphasised that it would only benefit 1,100 students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, and further investment would be needed. The union also welcomed...

Author: Union of Students in Ireland (USI)

USI Makes Submission to the Strategy for the Rented Sector

USI and Mental Health Reform Letter to Minister McEntee

Irish psychoactive drugs users in 15-24 year age group are highest in Europe

National Youth Council of Ireland, EQUATE, and INMO back USI’s National Demo in favour of Publicly-Funded 3rd Level Education

USI welcomes €36.5 million in third level education but emphasised that it is insufficient by €100 million

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