University Hospital Limerick trolleys
Violet-Anne Wynne raised trolley overcrowding and staff shortages at University Hospital Limerick and Ennis Hospital. The Taoiseach said both cases showed Covid's damage to hospitals and pledged support for any hospital that needed resources.
Will the Taoiseach and the Government commit to reviewing the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant scheme before next April? In light of the cost of living and other considerations, the income thresholds are not appropriate to the times we are living in. Students who were entitled to and received the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, will not receive a grant in 2021, which means that many will not be able to continue their education. I ask the Taoiseach to ensure that the PUP is not considered reckonable income for the purposes of the SUSI grant scheme in the 2021-22 academic year. It is very important.