Wexford School Seeks To Raise Funds To Send Asylum Seeker To University

Wexford school seeks to raise funds to send asylum seeker to university

Minister Jan O'Sullivan says she wants education taken into account in the government's new bill on immigration and asylum. She was reacting to the story of how a New Ross community has rallied around an asylum seeker to try and get her to college. Nadia Prochukham arrived in Ireland three years ago from Russia. She scored 615 points in her Leaving Cert and St Mary's Secondary School is hoping to raise the 15-thousand euro fee to send her to Trinity College Dublin They have been helped out by a "generous" anonymous donor. Jan O'Sullivan says she doesn't want students like Nadia to face obstacles that keep them from third level. "Young people have come right through school in Ireland, in many cases, I don't want to see them blocked to move on further in their education" she said. "This is a matter that again is, I suppose, cross-department". "Minister Fitzgerald is intending to introduce an immigration residence Bill, and I want to feed into that in terms of educational opportunities" she added.