UCD students to picket Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown Co Co meeting in protest at yet more grant delays

dublin | miscellaneous | press release Monday December 08, 2003 15:12 by Dermot Looney (Oifigeach Forbairt) - UCD Students' Union sudevelopment at ucd dot ie 01-7163123

University College, Dublin Students' Union (UCDSU) is organising a picket of tonight's meeting of Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown County Council in protest at the 3-month delay in grant payments to UCD students. At the end of the college term last Friday, a significant number of students from the County region had still to receive grants that were initially meant to arrive in September.

The picket at tonight's Council meeting is designed as an ultimatum to County Councillors to sort out the continuing problems with grant payments, problems which have led to considerable financial hardship for students whose families are already below the income threshold.

Paul Dillon, President of UCDSU says that " in a grants system continually dogged by late payments, Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown County Council is by far the worst offender. They have consistently paid out grant cheques on a late basis and, despite promises of a remedy, have this year been truly incompetent."

Students applied for the grants in July and August of this year, but many of the 250-plus grant recipients from Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown have yet to receive their first instalment, meant for the entirety of the first term, by its conclusion. Many are now worried that their second and third instalments, due in January and April, will also be late, causing yet more uncertainty and financial anxiety.

Jennifer Allen, Welfare Officer of UCDSU, believes "the hardship caused to students already at a financial disadvantage by these delays is truly worrying. Students are unsure when, if ever, these grant cheques will arrive, with many being forced into debt by administrative errors."

"UCDSU has this year launched a concerted and meaningful campaign to end the grant delays," says Paul Dillon. "These delays come on top of a measly payment and an administrative nightmare, supposedly 'co-ordinated' on a number of levels. As well as calling for an end to this nightmare for Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown students, we urge the Government to seriously reform the grants system through a centralised, student-friendly authority, paying adequate levels of support and truly encouraging wider access to third level education."


ENDS

UCDSU represents 21,000 students in University College, Dublin.
For more information please contact Paul Dillon, President, UCD Students’ Union, on 087-6859446, 01-7163110 or at supresident@ucd.ie