“The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has demanded that the government act on the findings of the Cassells report after recent research carried out by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) showed that just one in ten third-level students come from disadvantaged backgrounds …” (more)
[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 22 October]
“The Department of Education has announced the allocation of funding aimed primarily at the creation and expansion of technological universities here. TU Dublin, which comprises the former Dublin, Blanchardstown and Tallaght Institutes of Technology, has received €3.8m from the almost €15m fund, a portion of which also goes towards the promotion of cross-border third level projects …” (more)
[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 18 October]
“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and Minister of State with responsibility for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today (18 October 2019) announced funding of €14.25 million to higher education institutions. The €14.25m fund was allocated under the Higher Education Authority 2019 call for submissions for higher education landscape restructuring, consolidation and collaborative projects …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 18 October]
“On the day of the budget, student politicians and third-level officials were geared up to 11. The Provost had made bold statements about reducing student numbers in the face of insufficient funding on the Sean O’Rourke show earlier in the week. The interview had been a scading attack on the government’s inaction on third-level funding …” (more)
[University Times, 14 October]
“For anyone interested in the sustained funding of third level education in Ireland, Budget Day has become more like Groundhog Day. 1,183 days before last week’s Budget, the Cassells Report identified the funding challenges facing our higher education system and set out the scale of the investment required to deliver on our national ambition …” (more)
[Jim Miley, Trinity News, 13 October]
“The Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) has agreed a €40 million loan with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to part-fund the development of its city centre campus. The €90 million redevelopment of a block in the Ardilaun Centre on St Stephen’s Green, which is subject to planning permission, will provide enhanced research, teaching, learning, faculty and student facilities …” (more)
[Ciara O’Brien, Irish Times, 11 October]
“The Irish Universities Association (IUA), have described the Budget 2020 provisions for higher education as ‘understandable, but inadequate’. In yesterday’s budget statement, Minister of Finance Paschal Donohue announced the provision of €19 million for the rising student numbers in the following years, as well as €74 million additional funding for higher education, funded by a 0.1% increase in the National Training Fund levy. Donohue also reiterated a pledge for an extra investment of €60 million as part of the Human Capital Initiative …” (more)
[Rachel McKinney-Perry, Trinity News, 9 October]
“The failure again in today’s Budget to address the funding crisis in higher education highlights a continued policy paralysis in government on the sector, that threatens to undermine our universities and the education of tens of thousands of students countrywide, the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) states …” (more)
[IFUT, 8 October]
“The Presidents of GMIT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT (Connacht-Ulster Alliance) welcome the announcement today (9 October 2019) by the Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, of an increase of over €153 million for tertiary education including a multi-annual fund of €90 million to assist the development and progression of Technological Universities …” (more)
[GMIT, 9 October]
“Increase includes a multi-annual programme of €90 million for Technological Universities and a new initiative to promote Research Excellence. The Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today (9 October 2019) announced an increase of over €153 million for tertiary education. This will provide for a wide range of measures to provide greater choice and opportunity to students, meet future skills needs, support student well-being and promote excellence in research …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 9 October]
“We would like to thank the Chair, Senator Neale Richmond, and the Committee members for inviting the Irish Universities Association to address the Committee. We would like to start by highlighting the importance of higher education and research to the Irish economy and the role it plays in protecting Ireland from global crises before discussing Brexit specifically in terms of higher education and research …” (more)
[IUA, 9 October]
“The IUA welcomes the Budget provisions for higher education for known increases in student numbers in 2020 and pay provisions under national wage agreements. We understand this cautious approach to the Budget by the government in the context of the considerable uncertainty arising from Brexit. However, it must be recognised that the Budget does not address the growing gap in core funding of our third level system …” (more)
[IUA, 9 October]
“Budget increases by €360 million to €11.1 billion as special education, small schools and teaching principals benefit from new investment. More higher education places and new third level courses being created as part of new €60 million fund. Increase in funding for apprenticeships and training under the National Training Fund. Budget 2020 provides the fourth successive year of major reinvestment in our education and training system …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 9 October]
“Hundreds of teachers and special needs assistants will be hired over the coming year to meet the needs of our growing school population. Overall, the education budget next year will climb to a record high of €11.1 billion, up about 3% on last year. The bulk of additional funding will go towards demographic pressures and maintaining existing pupil-teacher ratios …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 8 October]
“Sinn Féin Seanad spokesperson on Education Paul Gavan has strongly criticised the Governments failure to increase the core funding to Third Level Institutions. Senator Gavan said: ‘The current funding crisis in Higher Level institutions has been well flagged in last few years …'” (more)
[Sinn Féin, 8 October]
“An increase in investment of €74 million for higher education has been announced by the Finance Minister Paschal Donohue in today’s budget statement. The additional funding will be provided by a 0.1% increase to the National Training Fund, a levy on employers …” (more)
[Finn Purdy, Trinity News, 8 October]
“If the government was surprised by Provost Patrick Prendergast lambasting the ‘politicians putting their hands up’ in an RTÉ interview earlier this week, it would surely have been more startled again a few days later, when Hugh Brady launched a searing attack on its inaction in the face of higher education’s crisis …” (more)
[University Times, 6 October]
“Hugh Brady, former president of UCD, tells us that the government are ducking and diving over low levels of investment in third level education …” (mp3)
[RTÉ – This Week, 6 October]
“In the public sector, there is only ever one solution to problems, and that is to call for more funding. Sadly, Irish universities are no different. Two stories last week illustrate the tendency. The first revealed that Trinity College in Dublin is considering reducing the number of Irish students who can attend in future unless the Government provides more resources …” (more)
[Eilis O’Hanlon, Independent, 6 October]
“Pressure on the Government to boost third-level funding has ramped up after former UCD Professor Hugh Brady, now head of a leading UK university, warned how Ireland’s higher education sector was lagging behind. Prof Brady didn’t hold back as he warned ‘the state of Ireland’s higher education and research system should be viewed as a national crisis’ …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 5 October]
