Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My thanks to the Deputy. I assure him that I am following up on the point he made about bursaries in Cork in this significant year for Cork.

The Deputy asked about well-being. In addition to the helpline referenced by him, we have increased mental health funding by €3 million. I appreciate his support in that regard. We have also doubled the student assistance fund. There is usually €8 million in that fund and now there is €16 million. Sometimes well-being can be tied to economic well-being. As I said earlier in my opening statement, I am now establishing a group specifically to look at the well-being of students and to continue to monitor that. Rather than it being chaired by a departmental official, I want it to be chaired by students and the USI. That is important.

The Deputy referred to the return to campus. We have published a framework for what can be done at each of the levels of the plan to try to provide as much certainty as possible. We meet every Friday at 11 a.m. with our stakeholders, including students, university leaders, college leaders and those from the further education and training sectors. The first priority is to try to resume things that cannot be done online, including practicals, apprenticeship and supports for vulnerable learners. I hope we will be in a rather different academic year by the new academic year.

The Deputy also asked about dropouts. The HEA tells me that it has not seen a significant increase in dropouts. The number is similar to last year. The authority is due to provide me with a report which I would be happy to share with the Deputy.

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