Ninth Level Ireland

“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 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]

“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]

“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]

“Sir, – Fiach Kelly reports that the Green Party in its pre-budget submission is recommending free access to all public transport for students, at a cost of €60 million (‘Greens propose free public transport scheme for students’, News, October 4th) …” (more)

[Ellen O’Malley Dunlop, Irish Times, 7 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]

“Callaghan Commons is the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Dublin City University Students’ Union. Here, he writes about how Budget 2020 should focus on students and access to education …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 5 October]

“A DCU student hopes next week’s Budget will bring reduced travel costs to cut her weekly commute from Cavan …” (more)

[Gabija Gataveckaite, Independent, 4 October]

“Students would be given free access to all public transport, similar to the existing scheme for pensioners, under proposals from the Green Party. The policy, at an estimated cost of €60 million, is an element of the party’s pre-budget submission outlined on Thursday by leader Eamon Ryan, deputy leader Catherine Martin and Dublin city councillor Neasa Hourigan, who is the party’s finance spokeswoman …” (more)

[Fiach Kelly, Irish Times, 3 October]

“WIT lecturer Dr Ray Griffin talks to Julie Smyth about the upcoming budget, what Paschal Donoghue can do to boost the South East’s economy and why, as an academic working in the region he is frustrated with the Taoiseach’s reported ‘frustration’ regarding the formation of a Technological University for the South East …” (interview)

[Spreaker, 15 September]

“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]

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 Union of Students in Ireland (USI) have released their pre-Budget 2020 submission, outlining their demands for increased higher education funding. The costed recommendations cover the major subcategories of higher education funding, such as grants, fees and housing. The general proposals have largely been made by USI before in previous pre-Budget submissions and the media …” (more)

[Aisling Grace, University Times, 19 June]

“‘The next Budget should provide once-off emergency funding from the surge in Corporation tax to address the escalating higher education crisis’, Joan Donegan, General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers, said in advance of IFUT’s 2019 Annual Delegate Conference in Dublin, Saturday, May 11th, 2019 …” (more)

[IFUT, 10 May]