“The new public service pay restoration deal, which will see most public service staff receive €2,000 on a phased basis, will cost the State €566 million over three years. However, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin last night said it was ‘affordable’ and the ‘right thing to do’ …” (more)
[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 30 May]
“Low earners are the big winners from the pay proposals set out in the new Lansdowne Road agreement. From the start, unions and the Government had been in favour of giving priority in pay restoration to those earning least …” (more)
[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 30 May]
“There has been a successful conclusion to talks on public-sector pay which will see most public servants having their pay restored by around €2,000. According to the IMPACT trade union, this will happen over three phases between January 2016 and September of 2017 …” (more)
[BreakingNews.ie, 29 May]
“A more ‘dynamic’ higher education system is needed to attract both top researchers and women to leadership roles in Ireland, the president of the Royal Irish Academy has said …” (more)
[Joe Humphreys, Irish Times, 29 May]
“Jan O’Sullivan TD, Minister of Education and Skills, is delighted to announce enhanced levels of supports from Irish higher education institutions (HEIs) to support the US Government’s plans to double the number of American students studying abroad over the next five years …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 29 May]
“What made the headline on the Irish Times education page this Wednesday was a report carried out by Viewforth Consulting on the economic, cultural and social impact of University College Dublin (UCD). Over the last few years, Viewforth Consulting has been a major partner working with Universities UK on the economic impact studies of UK universities …” (more)
[Research on Higher Education in Ireland, 29 May]
“Talks on the restoration of public sector pay broke up without agreement early this morning despite earlier optimism that a deal could be brokered. Union officials emerged from the negotiations just before 2am to say that progress had been made. Talks are to resume at 10am …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 29 May]
“A review of gender equality among third-level staff is to recommend ways to improve women’s representation at senior academic levels. The Higher Education Authority (HEA), which initiated the exercise, said gender inequality was systemic across the sector and not just NUI Galway which has been the subject of attention on the issue in recent months … ” (more)
[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 29 May]
“Students gathered at NCAD Thursday before marching to the Department of Education in protest over fee increases, structural changes and lack of transparency around college accounts …” (more, video)
[Oisin Vince Coulter, Trinity News, 28 May]
“It is paradoxical and ironic that peer review, a process at the heart of science, is based on faith not evidence. There is evidence on peer review, but few scientists and scientific editors seem to know of it – and what it shows is that the process has little if any benefit and lots of flaws …” (more)
[Richard Smith, Times Higher Education, 28 May]
“A university is the people. Sometimes it is possible to confuse the buildings as being the university, but it’s not. It’s the people. One way that we have tried to remember this is by linking people to the buildings – we name them after people …” (more)
[Mike Ratcliffe, Wonkhe, 29 May]
“Public service staff are expected to receive a boost in earnings of about €1,000 next year under a pay restoration deal being finalised tonight. The shape of the deal being considered would suggest State employees could receive a further, similar pay boost in 2017 …” (more)
[Martin Wall and Fiach Kelly, Irish Times, 28 May]
“Scrutiny of the Government’s JobBridge scheme has continued with the release of a new study. Impact, the largest public sector trade union, has published a report on the JobBridge programme amid increasing concern among its members that it is being used inappropriately …” (more)
[eolas Magazine, 28 May]
“Tramore native Louise Richardson nominated for post that paid £434,000 in 2013. Waterford-born academic Prof Louise Richardson is set to become the first woman to lead the University of Oxford …” (more)
[Joe Humphreys, Irish Times, 28 May]
“The Higher Education Authority is to appoint a panel of Irish and international experts to review gender equality in Ireland’s third-level institutions. The review is to be published within a year …” (more)
[Joe Humphreys, Irish Times, 28 May]
“Over €3 million has been spent so far on developing Technological Universities in Dublin, Munster and the south-east, with most of the money going on pay and professional fees. A breakdown of spending on the Technological University designation process has been supplied to the Public Accounts Committee …” (more)
[Joe Humphreys, Irish Times, 28 May]
“Universities should show students’ achievement with points scores, as well as the existing degree grades, says a higher education advisory group. A group of university experts is proposing a system giving more detailed information alongside grades such as first or upper second class degrees …” (more)
[Sean Coughlan, BBC News, 28 May]
“The public sector pay talks will today switch to the issue of the deeply unpopular pension levy after significant progress was made between Government and union officials …” (more)
[Niall O’Connor, Independent, 28 May]
“Irish universities are losing international competitiveness by failing to invest in digital infrastructure, such as faster broadband and online education tools, according to a new study by academics …” (more)
[Joe Humphreys, Irish Times, 28 May]
“We hear a lot these days, and rightly so, about the importance of the Stem disciplines: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. There is broad understanding of the need for strong research in these disciplines, to deliver talented individuals and new thinking, and to underpin a vibrant enterprise sector and an informed society …” (more)
[Orla Feely, Irish Times, 28 May]
