“Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor has advised students to use their grant from the SUSI grant to pay for accommodation increases, amid a funding crisis the government says it can’t tackle until after a general election …” (more)
[Orla Murnaghan, University Times, 14 August]
“Education Minister Joe McHugh’s political promise to freeze college fees for five years was made without any input from the Department of Finance, the Irish Examiner understands. The promise to freeze fees at €3,000 a year for college students was made by Mr McHugh despite ongoing demands from universities for the Government to address a major funding shortfall in the sector …” (more)
[Daniel McConnell, Irish Examiner, 12 August]
“Irish universities have rounded on Minister for Education Joe McHugh after he pledged not to increase student fees in the next five years, calling for ‘positive solutions on funding’ from the government. In a statement released this afternoon, the Irish Universities Association (IUA) said that McHugh’s promise not to increase fees beyond €3,000, made in an interview with the Sunday Independent, ‘tells us what the Minister will not do’ …” (more)
[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 12 August]
“Minister McHugh has made clear that Fine Gael and the Government will not introduce student loans and will not increase fees. So, that tells us what the Minister will not do, we now need to hear what he and Fine Gael will do to solve the long-accepted funding crisis …” (more)
[IUA, 12 August]
“Education Minister Joe McHugh has been told he must come up with a solution to the shortfall in third-level funding after he ruled out hiking students’ fees for the next five years. The call comes as universities are looking for an extra €117m in State funding for next year to pay for their basic operations …” (more)
[Kevin Doyle, Independent, 12 August]
“Minister for Education Joe McHugh has pledged not to raise college fees past €3,000 for the next five years if his party is returned to government in the next general election. In a move that echoes the recent promise by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar not to increase Ireland’s fees …” (more)
[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 11 August]
“Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) has criticised increases to College’s student accommodation prices, arguing that they make living on campus unaffordable to those in need of financial grants. In a statement published this evening, TCDSU President Laura Beston said: ‘TCDSU has not, nor will it ever, support rent increases on our campus’ …” (more)
[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 9 August]
“The ongoing funding crisis in higher education poses a risk to Ireland’s future, according to a new report published by the government. First published in 2014, the annual national risk assessment identifies geopolitical, economic, social, environmental and technological risks that Ireland faces …” (more)
[Cormac Watson, University Times, 7 August]
“Third-level funding stands at €138m less than what is needed to cater for rapidly expanding student numbers, Ireland’s seven universities have warned. Despite increasing by €189m since 2015, inadequate State funding is directly impacting Irish higher-level education ‘as evidenced by a fall in international rankings’, according to the Irish Universities Association (IUA) …” (more)
[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 26 July]
The Irish Universities Association (IUA) is today launching its pre-budget submission for 2020 calling on the government to support Ireland’s universities to underpin the talent, research and innovation required for today’s knowledge economy and the growth in student numbers …” (more)
[IUA, 25 July]
“The Department of Education has insisted that plans for sweeping reforms to the regulation of third level institution will not undermine the autonomy of universities. Minister of State for higher education Mary Mitchell O’Connor has published detailed legislative proposals for the reform of the 50-year-old Higher Education Authority Act …” (more)
[Irish Times, 25 July]
“It’s been an unusually busy news week for the higher education sector. On Wednesday morning, higher education’s biggest names assembled in the basement of the Alex Hotel to listen to Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin discuss the future of higher education. The speech was well received by university heads, with Brian MacCraith, the Chair of the Irish Universities Association, even describing his remarks as ‘brave’ …” (more)
[University Times, 21 July]
“Fianna Fáil leader Michael Martin has called for the creation of a department of higher education and research that would be separate from the Department of Education. Mr Martin said his party in government would seek a ‘broader reconfiguration’ of the departments as there was not ‘enough thought’ put into the structures of some of those established in recent times …” (more)
[Sarah Burns, Irish Times, 17 July]
“The government has hit back at Micheál Martin’s proposal to create a new government department for higher education and research, questioning the feasibility of a plan mooted by the Fianna Fáíl leader at a higher education conference this morning …” (more)
[Ross Malervy, University Times, 17 July]
“Speaking at the Irish Universities Association (IUA) inaugural Future of Ireland series, Leader of Fianna Fáil Micheál Martin called for the creation of a separate Department of Higher Education and Research and for clarity and certainty around core funding. Micheál Martin also highlighted the need to tackle the funding of the innovation gap between large and small enterprises, and the need for fostering diversity and accessibility within higher education …” (more, download)
[IUA, 17 July]
“Ireland’s third-level institutes will have to wait until April 2020 to hear the verdict of EU analysis on the Cassells report, Minister for Education Joe McHugh has said. The report, which sets out three options for the future funding of Ireland’s higher education sector, has been with the European Commission since January 2019, when the government applied for economic advice on the report …” (more)
[Emer Moreau, University Times, 14 July]
“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the availability on an ongoing basis of sufficiently qualified young persons with the skill sets sufficient to meet the demands of the modern workplace, academically and technically; the degree to which corrective steps are needed to address deficiencies in this vital area in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 25 June]
“NUI Galway has received planning permission for a new 674-bed student accommodation complex worth an estimated €23 million …” (more)
[Rachel O’Leary, University Times, 22 June]
“The first of up to 45 women-only professorships aimed at tacking gender inequality in higher education are due to be made before the end of this year. Minister of State for higher education Mary Mitchell O’Connor on Friday officially opened applications to the what is called the ‘senior academic leadership initiative’ …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 21 June]
“The IUA welcomes the announcement of the Call for Proposals for the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative (SALI). Our member universities are enthusiastic about engaging in this positive initiative to address the gender imbalance at senior academic level …” (more)
[IUA, 21 June]
