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Teagasc has confirmed that it will provide a fund in the region of €200,000 for students in agricultural colleges.
The fund will be used to finance a COVID-19 hardship payment to students, along with a laptop loan scheme.
Similar supports were introduced for third level students in other education institutions as part of a Government initiative in Budget 2021, but agricultural students were excluded.
Head of education in Teagasc Tony Pettit said: “Teagasc full-time Level 5 and 6 learners have to adjust to the impact of COVID on their education in a manner no different to learners in the wider further and higher education sectors."
Grants
“This new initiative will now give agriculture, horticulture, equine and forestry students in Teagasc the opportunity to avail of comparable supports to students in other third level education.”
Pettit said the payments were in recognition of the impact of the pandemic on third level learners and to support students transitioning to online learning environments.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue welcomed the fund, saying that agriculture students should not be treated differently to others.
“My Department has been working closely with Teagasc since October to set up this new initiative. Our agriculture students are the future generation of Irish farmers and they will be the lifeblood of the farming sector in the future,” the Minister said.
Details
Teagasc will make the necessary arrangements for full-time learners who are eligible for a COVID payment.
Full-time learners interested in availing of the Teagasc laptop loan scheme should contact their college for details on how to apply.
Macra na Feirme president Thomas Duffy said: “This is a welcome move as Macra had repeatedly highlighted the disparity between agricultural students and students in other third level institutes with supports.
“As Minister McConalogue stated, this is a recognition that agriculture students and young farmers are the lifeblood of the sector.”
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