Ms Maria Joyce:

Grants that cover fees and registrations. For Travellers who have survived primary and second level education and arrive at the door of a third level intuition, the worst thing facing them is being bogged down in red tape and all the procedures and hoops they have to jump through. There are grants available for students who are coming from educational disadvantage and marginalisation. Those procedures and hoops need to be removed from the system. We need straightforward grants that would cover fees. If we want more women to go into the third level education system, we need to be mindful of family commitments. Therefore, supports and resources that would allow that to be addressed are needed, particularly for Traveller women who are lone parents and are engaging in the education system as mature students. There are significant financial burdens on them and a system that has easily accessible resources or supports available is important. For Travellers who are in the third level system, and it will not be for all for of them, where there is a need for support and resources on the academic side, it is important those would also be available.