Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minster for his statement. First, I wish to raise a few issues that I have been dealing with locally in respect of social care students. I welcome the Minister's earlier response to me in relation to this issue. As the Minister knows, the social care students have 800 hours of placement to be completed within their course time. Obviously, at this time, because of Covid, and indeed for the last year, there have been huge difficulties in completing those 800 hours. I was quite concerned to learn that clearly talks and engagement have been underway since March 2020, according to correspondence I received from the Minister, and clearly the alternative arrangements that are needed have not come to pass just yet. I appreciate and welcome the fact that the Minister has sought to intensify those engagements, because obviously students need certainty in relation to this issue and they are under pressure in respect of these placements. Therefore I would appreciate if the Minister could provide an update on that. If he does not have an update, and I appreciate that this may be the case, perhaps he might come back to me in writing. There are a number of students who are trying to get through the course and they are under pressure in relation to these hours, so I would appreciate certainty for them on that issue.

I welcome what the Minister has said on the Residential Tenancies (Student Rents and Other Protections) (Covid-19) Bill 2021, that it will be looked at, and I hope it will be considered. That is welcome because we know that many students and families were really caught out, particularly by privately-owned student accommodation providers. I dealt with a number of them myself and some would not even respond or engage. It was really difficult and it left families caught out. I hope that as an Oireachtas we will take steps to ensure that student renters are protected and that they have far greater protections than they have had up to now.

On the review of Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants, I know that the Minister has said that the consultation will begin on Friday. I have seen reference made to the adjacent and non-adjacent rates which will be, and must be, looked at. I have previously raised with the Minister the issue of adjacent rates for students who live under 45 km from their college in rural areas where there is not that public transport link. In many cases, it is not available at all. Whatever comes out of this review, there must be consideration of the rural issue and how the grants are working for students who live in rural areas.

On the back to education allowance scheme, I appreciate that is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection, but of course the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has a role to play in helping people and supporting them in accessing education. Cost should never be a barrier, but of course we know that it is. It is the case here and in many other places as well.

The qualifying period for those currently in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, has been waived so that they can access the back to education allowance. It has not been waived for those in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and benefit etc. For a whole range of benefits, including the one-parent family payment, claimants must be in receipt of payments for nine months before they can qualify for the back to education allowance. I ask the Minister to engage with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, on this issue. We should be making access to education as easy as possible. If someone loses a job, I do not see why the person needs to be on jobseeker's allowance for nine months before he or she can access education. If the person wants to go back to education, that is brilliant and should be supported and encouraged.

Finally, another matter that has been raised with me by a number of constituents and students in particular is the Gaeltacht fees for students in Hibernia College. They cannot have the usual Gaeltacht experience because of Covid, which is understandable, but they are still being charged €650 per fortnight. They must have the Gaeltacht experience at home this year because of Covid. It will take place at their kitchen table or in their bedroom at a cost of €650. I ask the Minister to engage with the Minister for Education on this issue.

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