[…]pandemic, when deposits and prepaid rent were not returned. Many students were also left owing money for accommodation they could not use, and others were evicted from digs and rooms without notice. USI President, Lorna Fitzpatrick said: “When campuses were closed in March, students were left in very difficult circumstances and a lot were left out of pocket by hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of euro. We have been calling for clarity on what the new academic year will look like and in many cases that has still not been confirmed. We have been telling students to hold off […]
[…]exploration of moving to automatic voter registration USI directly registered nearly 28,000 students to vote ahead of the marriage equality referendum and handed out tens of thousands more forms. As a result, the organisation has developed an in-depth analysis of problems inside the current system for the registration of voters – and ways to fix them. USI President, Laura Harmon, said: ‘Being registered to vote is essential for citizens to fully participate in our democracy. Registering should be a simple and efficient process. However, the current system in Ireland is outdated, arduous and unnecessarily complicated. There are many practical changes […]
[…]to fully implement the steps for a robust mental health system in Ireland, according to A Vision for Change. At the mental health debate, which took place last Wednesday in the Dáil, independent politicians and speakers from every party spoke about the importance of setting up nationwide 24/7 intervention services to reduce the number of deaths by suicide in Ireland – which is higher than the number of road deaths. “We cannot continue the routine of people going to A&E or to the gardaí for help.” USI President, Annie Hoey, said. “The delay to access to proper mental […]
[…]total cost to attend third level education in Dublin, with the total cost coming around to €11,000 per annum. While USI expresses its gratitude in extending and increasing eligibility for grants in recent years – especially in Budget 2017 towards postgraduates. Unfortunately these measures don’t go far enough. With the maintenance grant ranging from €30 per month on the lowest to €120 on highest non-adjacent grant, this is not sustainable for a student living under 45km from their desired college. With the DIT campus survey outlining that a monthly expenditure excluding fees for a student living away from home is […]
