[…]meet Department of Justice requirements. However, international students are now required by the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) to have private health insurance. No other group in the country is required to have private health insurance. In order to rectify this anomaly and ensure equality for all students, Senator Malcolm Byrne has introduced a Seanad Private Members Bill titled the Health Insurance (International Students) (Amendment) Bill 2021. This Bill is a simple Bill and would remove international students from the definition of ordinarily resident, thereby removing the legal requirement for them to have very expensive private health insurance and allowing them access more affordable and tailored insurance that meets all requirements. We would […]
[…]last year. 15.4 % of children aged 11-13 and 19.5% of young adults aged 19-24 have had a mental health disorder and 75% of mental health difficulties arise before age 25, according to an RCSI study on mental health of young people in Ireland. “Students and young people have been repeatedly told there isn’t money to invest in the services they need – be it education, decent work or anything else.” Kevin Donoghue, USI President, said. “We’ve had the word ‘recovery’ jammed down our throats for 12 months and now they are stripping funding from a vital, under supported […]
[…]within a full term of Government. In the context of a 48% shortage in child and adolescent mental health service staff and lack of 24/7 mental health services across the country, full implementation cannot wait any […]
[…]reminds students how a good cuppa and talk with someone they trust can really improve their mental health. By having these chats about mental health gives us the courage to say things aren’t okay and that we need help. Seeking help and talking about our mental health is a sign of strength.” Campaign partner and Project Manager from Walk In My Shoes, Amanda McArdle, said, “We know that 75% of all mental health difficulties begin before 24 years of age, so it is hugely important to encourage students at third level to start the conversation around mental health. The students […]
[…]and increasingly recognise binge drinking as a major contributing factor to poor mental health. It’s very encouraging to see the USI are taking the lead to raise awareness of the strong link between binge drinking and poor mental health amongst their peers and it’s a significant sign of their commitment to this issue that they are also introducing training and policies to colleges and universities that will help protect students from alcohol harm.” -Ends- Notes: The campaign will launch at 11am at the National College of Ireland, Mayor Square, Dublin 1 Speaking at the launch will be Greg O’Donoghue, Suzanne […]
[…]2019. This is a large piece of research and will provide a much-needed insight into student mental health. It is the first of its kind looking specifically at student mental health across Ireland. We got a great response to that survey with over 3300 people completing it. While this is not a large enough sample to be considered nationally representative, the results still hold value and point to areas of concern for students. We also hope to carry out several flash surveys that will give us a glimpse into specific issues for example the experience of international students or those […]
[…]Club, Dublin. The Open Up campaign encourages third level students to talk more about their mental health to friends, classmates, family and teachers, as well as to mental health and medical professionals when needed. USI Vice President for Welfare, Somhairle Brennan said: “The aim of the campaign is to encourage students to normalise conversations about how they are feeling and to check-in with one another about their mental health. The theme of the campaign also covers the challenges of society opening up post-pandemic and acknowledges of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student mental health.” USI will travel to […]
[…]services and related supports in their area.” Voters can contact their local candidates via www.mentalhealthreform.ie. Join the conversation […]
[…]in mental health services, this represents an increase of just 3% in revenue funding for mental health, much less than the 7.4% increase in revenue spending for the health budget as a whole. This Government’s allocation will do little to redress the decades of neglect of Ireland’s mental health services, let alone put in place the foundations for a modern mental health system. In an act of community just five months ago, the #IAmAReason campaign rallied together to share our stories and to share what kind of impact cuts to and underdevelopment of mental health services means for real people. […]
