Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 September 2020
26. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to provide additional mental health supports to students returning to higher and further education. [22632/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, well in their very important work. All Deputies are aware that the reopening of schools in recent weeks has shown there is a wide understanding of the strain that Covid-19 has placed on the wellness and mental health of young people and society in general. That strain does not end when a student leaves second level. I ask the Minister to outline what much-needed additional supports will be provided and deployed for students in further and higher education for the coming year.
The Deputy is correct that there has been an effort by some Deputies - not him or me - to pit one generation against another with regard to Covid. The reality is that it has had a serious impact on all generations, including young people. I was very moved by the "Prime Time" television programme broadcast last night which showed all the milestones young people have missed as a result of the pandemic.
It is important, right and proper that the Government invests in helping students to make the transition from school into further or higher education. There are four areas in which we have tried to invest. One is the SUSI grant process and ensuring the applications are being processed and turned around. We have received 2,500 more applications so far. We are also making sure the system is flexible enough to understand that an applicant's family's income may have changed suddenly this year as a result of Covid and that that needs to be factored into the consideration. I have been meeting the staff responsible for SUSI regularly on that issue. The second area of investment relates to the issue of realising one cannot tell a student to pursue online learning without ensuring that he or she has access to a laptop. Families that one might presume could afford to put together several hundred euro in order to secure a laptop may be having difficulty doing so. We have invested €15 million in buying technological devices, including laptops, for students. They are being divvied out among all the institutions and will all be available before the new academic year starts.
We have doubled the student assistance fund. Its funding is usually approximately €8 million per year but this year it will be approximately €16 million. It is a fund which people can go to their local access office to draw down if they fall on hard times, have difficulty with a bill or lose a part-time job. There is €16 million in that fund.
As I outlined to Deputy Pringle, we have allocated an additional €5 million to student mental health, €2 million of which was allocated on budget day for extra spending this year, with the remaining €3 million allocated more as part of the July announcement. That has been divided among the individual institutions through the HEA. They are being asked to focus on hiring more counsellors and psychologists to ensure there are good supports for students. We are continuing to keep a watching brief on this issue. We will keep working with students' unions, listening to staff and putting in more supports as the need arises.
As the Minister stated, Covid is not generational. Rather, it has affected every cohort in society. He referred to SUSI. My colleague, Deputy O'Connor, has tabled a very good question regarding the need for flexibility in respect of some independent students who had to move home and may not have the utility bills for a certain period that are an important part of the application process.
It is an unfortunate reality that September and October usually see an increase in referrals for mental health. It is probably the case that, this year, that increase will be exacerbated by Covid and the uncertainty it has created for all generations. The most recent report on mental health by the Union of Students in Ireland found that a significant cohort of students suffer from depression and anxiety. In the current circumstances, the normal safety nets which exist for students have come under strain. Students who are remote learning to a much greater extent will find it difficult to connect with or spend time with friends. The supports which are available on campuses may not be as obvious in these circumstances. A more proactive approach will be needed to support those students. I ask the Minister to confirm that the supports will become more proactive. We need to ensure that there is connectivity with the students who will be off campus.
I support my colleague. The Minister mentioned a financial package of €5 million for additional student counsellors and to recruit additional psychologists for institutes. I am concerned that the Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board, Cavan Institute and Monaghan Institute will miss out on this very important funding. I ask that the Minister consider this in future allocations. Not every county has a third level institution and the area of further education is equally deserving of investment to create a safe, respectful and supportive environment.
On overhauling SUSI, the programme for Government commits to a fundamental reform to student support structures. I hope we can make progress on this in the coming period.
Deputy Brendan Smith is correct that we must be much more visible in terms of students knowing how to access these supports. I encourage everybody, including every Deputy, to direct people towards yourmentalhealth.ie. For the first time, we have a 24-7 text line for people who are experiencing mental health challenges. We must also talk more about how this pandemic is having an impact on everyone's mental health and well-being. Sometimes students, and everyone else, can feel they are the only ones feeling that way but that is not the case.
I will examine the issue Deputy Niamh Smyth raised regarding Cavan Institute and Monaghan Institute. The counties the Deputies represent, like my county, do not have a university but they do great work through further education. I will talk to SOLAS and revert to the Deputy on the matter.
I assure the Minister that, having fought for them over the years, we now have two very good institutes of further education in Cavan and Monaghan and I am very glad to be associated with the development of both. We would be glad to welcome the Minister and Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, whenever it is suitable.
We are all aware that the members of the class of 2020 have had a very difficult time. They experienced uncertainty with the leaving certificate and will now go to further or higher education colleges. Some of them have not yet received a timetable setting out how much time they will spend on campus and how much will be done through blended learning. Those starting out in college now have particular challenges. They may not get the on-campus experience which is part of lifelong learning and a particular part of learning for that age cohort. We must ensure that students who are off campus are not left behind. We must also avoid an increased drop-out rate among students in further and higher education arising from the additional challenges facing this particular class. These young people have gone through a difficult time as a result of the uncertainty with the leaving certificate. I compliment everyone in the Department of Education and Skills and the Minister, Deputy Foley, on dealing with a very difficult situation. I ask the Minister to ensure this cohort of new students is given particular attention and that additional supports are provided to ensure that as well as blended learning, these students are also able to blend into college life as much as possible.
I look forward to visiting Cavan and Monaghan with the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, and seeing the two institutes in question. The Deputy is entirely correct and I have been making the same point to the Irish Universities Association and the education and training boards. One cannot orientate someone into college via Zoom. Students need to be brought in to the college. To be fair, the institutions are positively discriminating, for want of a better phrase, in favour of first year students and often fourth or final year students and those who need to do practical classes. It appears a common sense approach is being taken. To become attached to an institution, students need to be able to visit it and get a feel for the place. This will be a very different college year and some of the normal college experiences the Deputies and I may have had will not be available this year because we have to keep staff, students and their communities safe first and foremost. A different experience should not mean a lesser one, however. That is the challenge we must continue to work with.
All first year students have been given start dates. The Deputy's point about uncertainty provides me with the opportunity to again encourage everyone to get on to some course this year, whether it is in further or higher education or an apprenticeship. The world is very uncertain and the routine and structure of that could be very helpful as we work our way through what will be a difficult few months.
