A joint campaign by the national coalition Mental Health Reform and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is asking Local Election candidates to commit to making mental health a priority locally, if elected. Denise McCarthy, USI Deputy President & VP Welfare said: “With four weeks until the Local Elections on 23rd May, the 4MentalHealth campaign asks candidates to take four key actions to promote mental health and well-being. The 2014 Local Elections represent an important opportunity to keep mental health on the agenda, and we’re asking voters to make their vote count.” Candidates are being asked, if elected, to: […]
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) today congratulated Leaving Certificate students on receiving their results urging important next steps to be taken after celebration. Today is a milestone in the lives of these students, and USI hopes that students have received the results that will see them enter third-level education. USI President Michael Kerrigan said, “Today is a tense and anxious day for Leaving Certificate students receiving their results. Remember, if you’re happy or disappointed with your results you should still be proud of your achievement of getting past one of the toughest moments of your education.” Prospective students […]
The Union of Students in Ireland launched its SHAG week campaign across the country in 6 different colleges (NUIG, NCI, IT Carlow, GMIT, DKIT and IADT) this week with two key messages – to get tested and to ask for consent, after a survey published in December 2015 showed an increase of STIs in Ireland by 4% and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre reported an increase in rapes and sexual assaults. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said the victims of recent rape and sexual assault went up to 303 in 2015, from 221 in 2014, but only 1 in 10 are reported. This figure is only for the Rotunda hospital where the sexual […]
Emails between a Fianna Fáil councillor and her student lodger revealed in the media this weekend show that urgent legislation is needed to cover digs accommodation and not just the ‘guidelines’ that Minister Simon Harris is currently championing, says the Union of Students in Ireland. The emails from Cllr Deirdre Conroy show that the French student who was in Dublin for a summer internship was told not to cook in the kitchen, to wash plates in the bathroom sink and that the €260 a week rent was “very low”. USI had previously been contacted by the Department of Further and […]
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) today released data showing 74% of students fear experiencing negative mental health in the future. USI is also raising concern over the shortage of staff in mental health services to cope with the increasing demand for support, in light of Fianna Fáil claiming the HSE has failed to spend any of an extra €15 million earmarked for boosting staff numbers. USI President Michael Kerrigan said, “Students are experiencing depression, anxiety, loneliness, substance misuse, and suicidal behaviour, and there is not enough support and staff to help them. It’s well known that almost 75% […]
