[…]to afford third level. In addition, the decision to frontload grant repayments to four payments in the first semester, five payments in the second semester, will help students handle the increased start-up costs of study. The decision to return the €25m withheld from colleges in the 2013 and 2014 budgets is good news for education – but represents a drop in the ocean of required investment for third level education – which will experience a 1% cut in wage related and non-wage related expenditures. However, less positive in the budget for students is the decision to stick by pre-planned increases […]
[…]can do it and now the Cassells report is saying we can do it. The writing is on the walls and in the paper – free education is a viable option and not the pipe dream so many people would make it out to be.” Donoghue maintains that politicians should be delighted at the news. “Time and again politicians have argued that free third level education would be great if it was viable. Well now we are being told that it is.” USI is calling on political groups to ensure that a move to fully publicly-funded education is included in […]
[…]Union of Students in Ireland (USI) will launch its campaign to secure a ‘YES’ vote in the forthcoming marriage equality referendum. See the new website voteforlove.ie USI believes that equal access to civil marriage in Ireland is one of the most important civil rights issues of our generation and that students have a valuable role to play in making this a reality. At the official launch of Students for Marriage Equality, plans for the coming months on how to win the referendum will be outlined, along with hearing first-hand accounts of why marriage equality is important to individual students. USI President, Laura Harmon, said: […]
[…]the ideals of solidarity, human rights and peace were decisive in securing an end to violence, all in the face of determined and fierce opposition from those opposed to the agreement. The Good Friday Agreement has meant many things to many people – for some it was the hope of a future society of equals; for some it was a new dispensation for peace and democracy. For others around the world the Good Friday Agreement stands as a beacon of hope that even in deeply divided societies, communication between communities can realise peace and pave a way for democracy. For […]
