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Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris has been urged to end the exclusion of agricultural students from third level supports by Macra na Feirme.
In the wake of COVID-19 and the move towards remote studying a number of supports were introduced for college students.
However, students in Ireland’s agricultural colleges have been excluded, as Teagasc colleges are not under the remit of the Department of Higher Education.
On RTÉ’s Morning Ireland on Friday, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said he was seeking a meeting with Minister Harris to resolve the issue.
Difficulties
Macra na Feirme president Thomas Duffy said: “Agricultural students are experiencing the same financial difficulties as any other student.
“It is critical that they are not discriminated [against] and disadvantaged by excluding them from the recently announced €18m student support scheme in July and the additional €50m announced in the budget."
He said the exclusion of students due to their course choice was grossly unfair.
There are approximately 6,000 agricultural students, 4,000 of whom are solely affiliated with their respective agricultural college and those students are currently excluded from the fund.
Macra said it was awaiting the outcome of the meeting between the two ministers and urged Minister Harris to include all students in the scheme.
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