Grant rise is not enough, says USI

EDUCATION Minister Noel Dempsey is “living in cuckoo land” if he thinks the increase in maintenance grants announced yesterday will benefit students, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) said yesterday.

Mr Dempsey said up to 56,000 students will benefit from an increase in grants in the new academic year.

But USI president, Will Priestley said: “The announcement of an increase in the grants scheme is merely cosmetic alterations in the grand scheme of things. The system for those going to college is grossly inadequate. If the Minister thinks that these increases will solve the problems students face then he is living in cloud cuckoo-land.”