Debate contribution: Reducing Barriers to All-Ireland Student Mobility

Debate contribution by Mrs Cathy Mason on 28 April 2025.

MLA

Mrs Cathy Mason

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

28 April 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Reducing Barriers to All-Ireland Student Mobility

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4914121

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate and to make a winding-up speech on the motion, which, I think it is safe to say, has had broad agreement across all parties. As suggested by the Member who has just spoken, it is not worth going through everything that everybody has said, because we have that broad agreement. We believe that it is important that all children and young people have opportunities to develop appropriate knowledge and skills so that they can become economically active, find gainful employment and thrive. It is crucial that all children and young people, including those with disabilities, those from low-income families and those with special educational needs, are given support, knowledge, encouragement and opportunities to overcome barriers and avail themselves of education and training at whatever facility meets their needs, no matter where it is. Sinn Féin believes in an all-island approach to education that is based on accessibility and inclusion and is free from barriers. Despite their living on a small island, it is clear that partition has had a huge impact on where young people choose to study — something that has limited their opportunities. Cross-border student enrolment on the island has remained low. Students from the North make up less than 1% of the student populations in the South's colleges, as Cara Hunter mentioned, even with a lack of third-level education capacity in the North. Differences in admissions and funding, and a general lack of collaboration between government institutions, have resulted in limited opportunities for young people. The process of going to university in Belfast or Derry should be the same as the process of going to college in Galway or Dublin. I commend the work of my colleagues Pádraig Delargy MLA and Mairéad Farrell TD, as well as many others, who have worked tirelessly to try to progress the issue. Reducing barriers to all-island student mobility is also a priority for my colleague the Economy Minister, Caoimhe Archibald. As junior Minister Reilly outlined, Minister Archibald's Department has worked with students to design and publish improved information and guidance for students from the North who wish to apply to higher education in the South. Minister Archibald's Department has also introduced access to a tuition fee loan to postgraduate students from the North who are studying in the South, and work is ongoing to provide tuition fee support to students from the North who are studying part-time in the South. The junior Minister outlined, and I acknowledge, the call that has been made by the North's Secondary Students' Union, with support from the South's Second-level Students' Union, for reform of the university application process between North and South. It is also welcome that further progress has been made in providing equivalence in A-level and Leaving Certificate admissions processes ahead of the 2025-26 academic year. The amendment to the admissions process is a significant step forward in opening opportunities for Northern students to attain university degrees in institutions across Ireland. As we know, previous arrangements created inequalities for Northern students because their grades were not recognised equally in the points systems and admission processes. The changes for the upcoming year will help address that imbalance and, in doing so, improve cross-border student mobility. Sinn Féin has long called for those changes to be made so that Northern students stand a fair chance of accessing courses and opportunities in universities in the South. The Department of Education must ensure that young people have the necessary information and guidance to apply for courses through the Central Applications Office processes. While it is disappointing that the Education Minister is not here this afternoon, it was positive to hear his acknowledgement earlier that there are circumstances in certain areas in education in which the North lags way behind. Sinn Féin will continue to work to remove barriers and to promote education opportunities across Ireland as the best way to increase access to third-level education. Given the debate, it is clear that we should all continue to work to improve cross-border student mobility to enable our children and young people to build a future and a career in the communities on this island. Go raibh míle maith agat.

708 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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