Dr. Breda McTaggart:

It is 90% female and 10% male.

Retention on this programme is strong because the students are entering fully committed to it. We have had one deferral and no drop-outs. The problem is that we are making it difficult for them to achieve it.

One is means tested for grant funding. If one was in employment the previous year, one will not get the grant. The notion of bursaries was mentioned. However, there is a problem with getting a bursary and a grant at the same time because it does not allow for both. I support the idea of good quality bursaries that are comparable to what one would earn from employment. This is because one is asking so much with the academic workload and so forth. It is one of the tougher masters, with a level 9 workload while meeting the requirements of the professional regulator and QQI, Quality and Qualifications Ireland. Any way it can be supported would be welcome. There is a cohort interested in the course. More in our region would be interested if there were more financial supports for them.