News & Statements

Time to ban single use plastics – Walsh

Maria Walsh is calling for a ban on single use plastics in the fight against climate change and is  encouraging everyone in the West and North West to take personal responsibility on climate action.

Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D. Welcomes the Latest Athena SWAN Awards

The Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D., has welcomed the Athena Swan awards that were announced this week.The Athena SWAN Charter is a flagship accreditation scheme which recognises action to address gender equality within our higher education institutions.Two additional third level institutions have been successful in receiving Bronze awards. These are Cork Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Carlow. These bring to eleven the total institutional bronze awards made to date, including the award to the DIT in 2018.

National Student Accommodation Strategy

The Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D. and the Minister of State with special responsibility for Housing and Urban Development Damien English T.D. today released the end Q1 2019 progress report on the National Student Accommodation Strategy.The National Student Accommodation Strategy (NSAS) complements the initiatives being taken by the Minister for Housing to increase housing supply under Rebuilding Ireland. Eight key targets and 27 actions are outlined which are designed to support the delivery of an increased level of supply of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and an increase in take-up of digs accommodation. The target as set out in the NSAS is the provision of 7,000 bed spaces by end 2019 and a total of 21,000 additional PBSA beds by 2024.