Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion

Mr. Nick Henderson:

Our education fund is coming up to its fifth or sixth year in existence. It is open for one month a year in July to international protection applicants and refugees and it gives grants. Our average grant is approximately €350. This is a grant for a course itself and travel or resources to allow somebody to study. We are grateful to the donors for it. The fund has grown in size and we now have two people on our education team; our education officer, Ms Charlotte Byrne, and our education assistant, Ms Rosemary Kunene. It is a very useful tool.

On what Ms Ryan just spoke to, we also have a helpline staffed by five Ukrainian speakers. We have received more than 850 calls so far. We have answered calls from people in Ireland and elsewhere about anything and everything regarding their situation.