The president of the Union of Students in Ireland, Mr Colman Byrne, has complained that the Higher Education Authority's working group on the £250 student service charge has not been able to lay down a "concrete figure" for funding student unions, clubs and societies out of this sum, writes Andy Pollak.
However, Mr Byrne expressed satisfaction that a "framework of good practice for allocating it" had been published. He hoped that a specific figure for the funding of student activities could be agreed at the group's six-month review meeting. USI is also calling on the Minister for Education to cap the £250 charge.