Ninth Level Ireland

“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has called on the government to include provisions for colleges to provide their own student accommodation instead of relying on private, college-affiliated accommodation. Speaking on Newstalk’s Lunchtime Live yesterday, USI President Clare Austick said: ‘We want to see a clear commitment and urgent action from the government to commit to a plan on accommodation to ensure that people all across the country have access to accommodation’ …” (more)

[Emer Moreau, University Times, 27 July]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide additional information on the €20 million in budget 2021 for SUSI that will see the funding returned to 2019 levels; the projections on demand upon which this is based; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 15 December]

“The creation of a dedicated Department for Higher Education earlier this year was met with much fanfare by those in the sector who had been advocating for such a move for years. The existence of the dedicated department has already proven useful, with the Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris already providing increased third-level spaces to deal with the inflated leaving certificate grades and promising to prioritise hot-topic issues such as on-campus sexual assault …” (more)

[University Times, 18 October]

“The provision of €50m extra supports for students and the confirmation of ongoing funding for the extra 5,000 places in higher education in addition to further demographically-driven places next year are welcome features of Budget 2021 …” (more)

[IUA, 13 October]

“A number of third-level stakeholders have expressed disappointment over Budget 2021, which was announced earlier today. Some €3.3 billion was allocated to the Department of Further and Higher Education under Budget 2021 – up from €2.8 billion last year – which includes a €50 million fund to assist third-level students experiencing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic …” (more)

[Molly Furey, University Times, 13 October]

“In June, a new dawn broke for universities. They finally had a government department for themselves – a seat at the cabinet table – and a real chance of concrete reform for the sector. And, on the whole, summer had been a hopeful time for the sector. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris had proven an energetic figure, indicating that he felt higher education needed to be rejigged – and that funding was a priority …” (more)

[Cormac Watson, University Times, 13 October]

“The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has welcomed the allocation of €3.3b. to higher education in today’s Budget, but ‘after a decade of neglect, the sector must be included centrally in the government’s Recovery Fund next year to allow a return to sustainable education’, Joan Donegan, General Secretary of IFUT said …” (more)

[IFUT, 13 October]

“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has said that the government has ‘ignored the systemic barriers preventing students from accessing higher education’. In a statement published in reaction to the announcement of the government budget for 2021, USI said that these barriers can ‘only be addressed through continuous financial support and not through one-off funding packages’ …” (more)

[Patrick Coyle, Trinity News, 13 October]

“Jim Miley, Director of the Irish Universities Association (IUA) has ‘warmly welcomed’ the support for higher education students included in Budget 2021. However, Miley stated that the government ‘needs to tackle the funding deficit elephant in the room’ …” (more)

[Shannon Connolly, Trinity News, 13 October]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins TD have today announced a series of new measures as part of Budget 2021. The package includes …” (more)

[MerrionStreet.ie, 13 October]

“All full-time third-level students are to receive a €250 payment in the coming year to help compensate for the move towards greater online learning. It is one of a number of education measures set to be unveiled in Budget 2021 including the hiring of 565 additional teachers to bring the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level to a record low …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 13 October]

“Budget 2021 will be announced in the Dáil on Tuesday. Following on from a tumultuous year in the higher education sector, organisations have been lobbying intensively for the supports they think the sector needs …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty and Cormac Watson, University Times, 12 October]

“The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has called for higher education to be given priority funding in next Tuesday’s Budget. Joan Donegan, General Secretary of IFUT, said that thousands of lecturers and tens of thousands of students require urgent support to cope with the impact of Covid-19, on top of a previous decade of underfunding …” (more)

[IFUT, 12 October]

“Earlier this week, the Irish Universities Association (IUA) requested a hefty total of €538 million from the government in its pre-budget submission, which attempted to position higher education at the centre of the economy’s recovery. The IUA’s optimism is understandable – this is the first budget since the establishment of a Department of Higher Education in June, and third-level has enjoyed an unprecedented place in the sun as a result …” (more)

[University Times, 11 October]

“Universities say they need €538m in State support next year, including €102m for additional Covid-related costs. The Irish Universities Association (IUA) has set out details of its funding requirements in a pre-Budget submission, which says the sector is facing a combined deficit of €200m next year …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 5 October]

“Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of additional provision made for student accommodation in budget 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter … ” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 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 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]