Colleges set up soup kitchens for students waiting on grant money

More than 5,500 students, who are still awaiting their grants, are getting food boxes from student unions across the country, in a desperate attempt to get by.

It comes as figures from the new SUSI grant system reveal that 5,575 students, or 28% of successful applicants, are still waiting on their first grant payment.

The centralised grant agency has come in for major criticism in recent months, and the Government has confirmed that a major reform of SUSI will take place over the coming weeks.

President of the Union of Students in Ireland John Logue has said many students are at breaking point.

Mr Logue said: "In the case of Athlone IT, there is a soup kitchen set up in their canteen so that students who are going hungry, because of the lack of food they are getting through the lack of maintenance grant, they can get soup in there.

"Trinity College have a food box in the students union. A number of other institutions are offering food vouchers to those students who are in desperate need at the minute and can come in and get enough money to get a sandwich and something just to keep them going throughout the day."