Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 July 2018
108. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the engagement his departmental officials have had with an organisation (details supplied) in the past 12 months; his plans to meet the organisation before the new academic year in September 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29294/18]
View answerOfficials from the Department of Education and Skills engage with The Union of Students Ireland (USI) on an ongoing basis through USI representation on relevant steering committees and working groups, for example the Inter Departmental Group on Student Accommodation.
Under the National Student Accommodation Strategy (NSAS), the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government are working with the USI to support the #HomesforStudy campaign which promotes the provision of ‘digs’ accommodation for students as an alternative to both purpose built student accommodation and the general rental market, and have provided funding to the USI for this purpose. A meeting was held between USI and DES on 22 May 2018 to discuss the NSAS. The 2018 #HomesforStudy campaign was launched on 25 June.
Department officials met with USI on 1 June 2018 to discuss key matters arising from the USI paper “A national approach to the student voice”. This meeting explored key issues of concern to USI in the context of the passage of the Technological Universities Bill, 2015 through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Deputy may also wish to note that the Minister of State for Higher Education met with the USI on the following dates:
- 28 July 2017 to discuss matters surrounding the TU Bill, Student Accommodation and general issues and concerns;
- 4 October 2017 following a USI march/rally in the city centre for publicly funded third level education;
- 14 November 2017 in relation to the National Student Charter.
I understand that the Minister for State was due to meet with the USI at the end of June, however this was postponed due to competing demands on the Minister of State's diary.
This meeting will be rescheduled in the near future.
