Sinn Féin spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Rose Conway-Walsh TD has said that it is wholly unacceptable that students studying Applied Social Care at Dublin Business School have now been told their qualifications will not enable graduates to join CORU’s register of Social Care Workers.

Teachta Conway-Walsh said:

“I have been contacted by students from all over the country who received an email to tell them ‘the CORU board did not deem the programmes(s) as sufficiently meeting their requirements as listed as an approved qualification at this time’.  

“It is very clear that these students have been misled by DBS for months and years. 

“These students are part-time and full-time studying at level 7 and level 8, and have paid thousands of euros, studied for months and years, and worked for hundreds of hours in unpaid placements. 

“Many of these students are working in low-paid jobs and have taken out loans to better their education. They have made huge sacrifices to get qualifications that now may be worth very little.

“One student told me ‘I am a 43-year-old mother of three working full-time during the day with the homeless sector, studying part-time. This degree meant everything to me. Life circumstances prevented me from furthering my education until this point, and I am finally at a point where I can skill-up in an area where I have a great interest and passion’.

“Minister Harris must intervene to find a conversion solution for these students to facilitate registration to CORU. We cannot allow students to be treated in this manner.”