Ninth Level Ireland

“Future funding for higher education institutions will be tied to how well they tackle the problem of gender equality in the sector, Minister of State for higher education Mary Mitchell O’Connor has said. A report setting out how universities and Institutes of Technology will be judged on their efforts to tackle the gender gap in the sector is due in the middle of September …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 20 August]

“The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, TD, has today published a comprehensive independent review of the National Training Fund. The National Training Fund (NTF) was established by the National Training Fund Act 2000 to raise the skills of those in employment, to give relevant skills to those preparing for employment and to support lifelong learning …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 17 August]

“Everyone claims there is a financial crisis in higher education. So two recent announcements made me pause for thought. Trinity’s announcement of a €1bn innovation campus and UCD’s announcement of a €48m innovation and creativity centre (or something) seem somewhat incongruous …” (more)

[Greg Foley, An Irish Blog about Education, 9 August]

“The Higher Education Authority has warned that the quality of third-level courses is at risk due to a deterioration in staff-student ratios in colleges. Its comments come in the same week it emerged that dozens of third-level students at NUI Galway were refunded fees for a course on foot of quality concerns …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 2 August]

“The Government needs to boost spending on areas such as education and infrastructure to protect the Republic’s economy from long-term risks such as Brexit, a report published on Tuesday warns. The Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) estimates that the Republic’s wealth will grow 5.8% this year, creating 100,000 new jobs and increasing wages by 2.9% …” (more)

[Barry O’Halloran, Irish Times, 1 August]

“The announcement of ring-fenced funding for multi-campus institutions is positive news for GMIT, according to Galway East TD Sean Canney. The Minister of State for OPW and Flood Relief welcomed the funding, which will amount to an additional €250,000 per annum per institution …” (more)

[Micheál Ó Maoileoin, Galway Daily, 20 July]

“The Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton, TD, and the Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD, today Monday 30th July launched the new Higher Education and Innovation Fund for which up to €5m is available for investment in 2018. The innovation fund is part of the additional €100m which the government are investing in higher education since 2016 …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 30 July]

“The State’s cash-strapped institutes of technology say they need up to €400 million over the next five years if they are prove fit for purpose to meet the needs of a growing number of students. The representative body for the 14 institutes of technology says some colleges are in a financially vulnerable position and require investment to protect the quality of education …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 29 July]

“The Technological Higher Education Authority (THEA) has requested an investment of €74.5 million on behalf of Ireland’s 14 Institutes of Technology in its pre-budget submission. The submission also included a five-year funding plan, detailing how the proposed changes call for upwards of €700 million to be spent …” (more)

[Aisling Marren, University Times, 27 July]

“I’m down in Cork to visit two of my Biotech students who are on their nine-month work placement in Eli Lilly. This will be my last of our so-called INTRA visits. I’ve also been to Medtronic in Galway, Abbott in Longford, Abbott in Sligo and Leo Pharma in Crumlin. So far, our students have been getting glowing reports. So when somebody, or some organisation, makes a statement to the effect that our higher education system is ‘in crisis’, I’m a bit confused …” (more)

[Greg Foley, The Optimistic Educator, 25 July]

“The Government’s decision to give a green light to the State’s first technological university was hailed by ministers last week as a sign of its ambition to develop higher education and create more opportunities for students. That may be so. But a more telling measure of its commitment to the sector is the low priority it has given to establishing a sustainable funding model …” (more)

[Irish Times, 23 July]

“Ibec has criticised the Government’s plan to establish a so-called ‘rainy day fund’, suggesting the pot of money to be set aside is too small to act as a buffer against future economic shocks. In a prebudget submission, the employers’ group said the money should be used instead to address the funding crisis in higher education, which it described as one of the biggest issues facing the State …” (more)

[Eoin Burke-Kennedy, Irish Times, 16 July]

“Business and employer lobby group Ibec has issued a stark warning about Ireland’s eroding competitiveness and urged the Government to arrest the decline by providing greater support to local industries, as well as injecting €250m into higher education …” (more)

[Gretchen Friemann, Independent, 16 July]

“Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, today launched its full Budget 2019 submission in which it called on Government to introduce measures which promote competitiveness with a focus on support for the indigenous business sector and higher education …” (more)

[IBEC, 16 July]

“There are many quotations on the value of education but few are more apt than that of Nelson Mandela who described it as ‘the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’. University students need no convincing on the power of the educational weapon. But, it would seem that those who wield political power in Ireland have some way to go to be convinced of the need to properly fund the university and higher education system …” (more)

[University Observer, 13 July]

“Sir, – I note your report (News, July 6th) that the Irish Universities Association (IUA) has made a submission to the Government for an increase of €130 million in core funding and €104 million in ‘essential capital upgrades’ for 2019, and with further increases in subsequent years. The IUA also links the recent ‘fall in international standing’ of Irish universities to the paucity of state support …” (more)

[Eunan O’Halpin, Irish Times, 10 July]

“The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, has not been reluctant to enter contentious debate during the course of his term of office to date. Most recently, at the launch of the Cambridge University Press History of Ireland, the President offered the following view on universities as comfortable hosts for academic studies …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 9 July]

“On Thursday, without warning or any sort of build-up, the Irish Universities Association (IUA) launched an aggressive online campaign to increase funding for the higher education sector. The media jumped on it – and Twitter buzzed as provosts and presidents all rowed in behind the organisation to support this very public push for increased funding …” (more)

[University Times, 8 July]

“A Government decision on how to boost funding for third level is unlikely for at least another year as an economic analysis of options put forward two years ago will not now begin until 2019. Education Minister Richard Bruton and minister of state Mary Mitchell O’Connor have told the Oireachtas education committee the review it sought six months ago would begin no sooner than early next year …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 7 July]

“‘Upon the education of the people of this country, the fate of this country depends.’ History regards Benjamin Disraeli as a reforming political leader. His contention that education determines the fate of the country is as apt today as it was when he spoke in the House of Commons on June 15th, 1874 …” (more)

[Jim Miley, Irish Times, 6 July]