Good Samaritan to pay €10,000 college fees for students

A Good Samaritan in Galway city has donated €10,000 towards the provision of third level education for members of a refugee family.
The family have been living in a city centre hostel for the past six years and do not have the funds to access college education for their children.
But now an anonymous city businessman has stepped into the breach and has provided the funding that will allow the twins go on to further education.
The whole issue of families living in former hotels and hostels while seeking asylum was raised by a newly-elected city councillor.
Cllr. Cathal O’Conchúir revealed that there were families living in hotel bedrooms in Galway city for 14 years awaiting their applications for refugee status to be processed. He raised this issue both in the Galway City Tribune and Galway Bay fm last week and it prompted a positive response.
Cllr. O’Conchúir, a teacher, said that the children of these families could not access third level education despite having done very well in the recent Leaving Cert results.
Now, however, the Sinn Fein councillor has confirmed that a donation of €10,000 had been made by a city businessman on the basis that his identity would be kept confidential.
It means that the twins of an African couple living in a city centre hostel will now have access to third level education. The boy achieved enough points in his Leaving Cert that will get him into an arts degree course.
His twin sister did not do as well but she now has the opportunity to do a post Leaving Cert course. The family are humbled by the offer, the councillor said.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.