FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER
VOL 14, ISSUE 2
01 OCT 2012
Councils Cannot Legally Withhold Grants, Taoiseach Confirms By Roisin Peddle The Fine Gael/Labour government has been forced into another embarrassing climbdown over student grants. A number of county councils had planned to ask students whether their parents had paid the household charge before processing grant applications. An Taoiseach Enda Kenny said although councils were entitled to ask people if they had paid the household charge, it was illegal for them to withhold any payment from students.
“[Councils are] not entitled by law to reduce or withhold a portion of the third-level grant but as a matter of course it is entitled to as much information about the numbers who have paid the household charge as is required in law,” Mr Kenny told the Dáil. Government ministers, including Environment Minister Phil Hogan and Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, had said that councils were entitled to question whether people had paid the charge. Minister Quinn said it was “reasonable” to ask whether families had paid the house-
hold charge. Minister Hogan praised the council’s original decision and said local authorities should use “whatever means necessary” to ensure compliance with the household charge. The climb-down came after the Union of Students in Ireland threatened legal action against any council which withheld payments from students. The payments are the remit of the Higher Education Authority, but they are processed by councils and VECs. Following legal advice, the
councils concerned backed down from the original plans. Clare County Council had planned to withhold grant payments to students whose families have not paid the controversial €100 household charge. South Tipperary County Council had said it would ask students whether the charge had been paid but would not withhold or delay grants if it had not. South Tipperary county manager John O’Mahony told the Journal.ie that following legal advice, the council had decided not to proceed. Continued on page 2…
Being Young and Irish 2012
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Quinn Confirms Further 5 Increase of Fees EA Jobs Make Galway a Centre for Gaming Industry
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World News
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Interview with an SU Officer
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Students Speak
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50 Shades of Bogger
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Ancient Remedies and Modern Cures: How to prevent a cold
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A group of NUI Galway students, led by Education Officer, Conor Stitt, protested against Clare Co. Council for withholding grants.
Former GMIT Student Arrested For Attending Lectures By Claire Devaney A former mature student of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Castlebar, has narrowly avoided prison by acknowle d g in g a c o ur t o r de r barring her from GMIT. Ms Anna Marie Flana-
gan, who has addresses at both Tullamore, and Upton House Clara, in Offaly, lost her place in the undergraduate nursing and midwifery degree, after failing her first year and neglecting to take repeat examinations. Despite not being allowed to attend the
college, she had continued with second year lectures the following academic term. In May 2011, GMIT received a High Court injunction from Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, to prevent Ms Flanagan from being present at lectures, lab
work or practicals at the GMIT campus in Castlebar; the latter had agreed to these proceedings. Since the start of the new college term this September, however, Ms Flanagan – who is no longer registered or enrolled with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology – persisted in attending third year undergraduate nursing lectures on four separate occasions. Continued on page 2…
Partying at the Freshers’ Ball. Photo by Denis Wettman