Ninth Level Ireland

“Details of what we can expect in today’s budget were recently announced by the government, and include among their number a variety of hits to the education sector. Among the resulting cuts and charges the Student Services Charge (commonly referred to as the Registration Fee) will be increased by €500 to €2000 next year …” (more)

[Byron Murphy, College News, 10 December]

“Yesterday’s budget speech by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan included little to cheer about from a section of society. That being said, there was some slightly positive rumblings with regard to science and science funding …” (more)

[Eoin Lettice, Communicate Science, 8 December]

“USI President Gary Redmond’s remarks yesterday evening that the passage of the 2011 Budget marked the advent of a Pearl Harbor day in Irish third level education fell significantly wide of the mark …” (more)

[Daniel O'Carroll, Cork Student News, 8 December]

“It has been my practice on Irish Budget days to ignore the Minister’s Budget speech (no disrespect intended) and to head straight for the appended tables and data, as these give a more precise and comprehensive picture of the measures than the political narrative of the speech …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 8 December]

“Changes to the qualifying criteria for the adjacent rate of the student maintenance grant, announced in the Budget for 2011, will lead to thousands of students facing up to the prospect of an almost 60% decrease in financial support …” (more)

[Free Education for Everyone, 7 December]

“The Government is seeking to generate savings of €309 million on the public service pay and pensions bill for next year …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 7 December]

“The impact of the Budget and Estimates on higher education can be worked out here, and may be summarised as follows …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 7 December]

“Increased student fees and school transport charges are among the main features of the Budget in the education sector. But compared to other areas, the two per cent reduction in the overall allocation of over €8.85 billion is relatively modest …” (more)

[Sean Flynn, Irish Times, 7 December]

“Today’s budget contains some very regrettable cutbacks in the education sector, which puts the IMF bailout and bankers ahead of those who use our education system …” (more)

[Ruairi Quinn, Labour Party Blog, 7 December]

“The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has sharply criticised the litany of Budget cutbacks to an education system ‘now truly hacked back to the bare bones’ …” (more)

[Teachers' Union of Ireland, 7 December]

“Lots could be, and doubtless will be, said about the budget. But it is worth looking at some of the changes regarding education …” (more)

[Kevin Denny, Geary Behavioural Economics Blog, 7 December]

“Reports suggest that third level fees in form of increase in registration fees by several hundred, maybe up to as much as €3000, may come in budget …” (discussion thread)

[Politics.ie, 31 October]

“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) launched its pre-Budget submission, entitled ‘Ireland’s Future Starts Here’, today (October 22nd). The major focus of the submission is USI’s call on the Government to protect Higher Education in December’s budget …” (more)

[Irish Press Releases, 22 October]

“Last Wednesday afternoon in Dublin city centre I stopped, with a number of other passers-by, at a shop that had a television where we could see Brian Lenihan giving his Budget speech. As every new item was disclosed I was able to hear a number of choice expletives from my fellow watchers, no doubt as each of them contemplated their new financial circumstances. The man next to me said: ‘and I’ve just bought a new Mercedes’. Yes, I felt really sorry for him …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, Irish Times, 15 December]

“A student already waiting a full term for her college grant is in fear of dropping out because of the 5% cut in payments as part of Wednesday’s budget. While Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe claims the drop reflects cost-of-living falls, postgraduate student Annie Hoey said she is already up to her eyes in debt and struggling to feed herself with €20 a week …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 12 December]

“A reduction of 5% is being applied to the rates of student grants and scholarships …” (more)

[USI Equality Blog, 11 December]

“Many in receipt of social welfare payments are entitled to a special rate of grant because they need the extra support having been unemployed longterm. This rate adds up to €9,370. Basically, they will be losing nearly €10,000 per annum …” (more)

[USI Equality Blog, 10 December]

“Green Party Education Spokesperson Paul Gogarty TD has welcomed the protection for education as outlined in this year’s Budget. Deputy Gogarty said: ‘At a time when many Government departments have suffered serious cutbacks, education has been protected to a large extent. I am glad that the Government has recognised the importance of investing in education, even during an economic downturn, as this is crucial for our economic well-being and for overall social cohesion …’” (more)

[Paul Gogarty, Green Party News, 10 December]

“Courses for adults should have been given the same protection as school funding in the budget, according to the body representing city and county Vocational Education Committees (VECs) …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 11 December]

“The Union of Students in Ireland has condemned the Government for placing new restrictions on qualification criteria for the student maintenance grant. As part of the Budget 2010, students in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance will no longer be eligible to receive the student maintenance grant …” (more)

[USI, Irish Press Releases, 10 December]