Ninth Level Ireland

“The founding president of University of Limerick (UL) plans to hand back his honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland (NUI) in protest over its decision to honour former taoiseach Brian Cowen. The NUI has faced a wave of public criticism following its awarding of an honorary doctorate to Mr Cowen on Wednesday …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 29 July]

“David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein): Earlier the Taoiseach spoke about Bills stuck in coffin Stage. One such Bill is the Technological Universities Bill, which, as the Taoiseach knows, has been stuck on Committee Stage for some time. I have asked about this previously because it is very important for all those consortia and institutes of technology involved in the process. There is huge uncertainty regarding the funding model for these technological universities …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 5 April]

“The announcement from Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Education Minister Richard Bruton of a new working group to plan for the future of the Mayo campus of GMIT is nothing but a smokescreen, according to the Mayo GMIT Action Group …” (more)

[Midwest Radio, 4 April]

“Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Education Minister Richard Bruton today hosted the latest in a series of regional meetings on the Action Plan for Education in the Mayo Campus of Galway Mayo Institute of Technology in Castlebar …” (more)

[Merrion Street, 31 March]

“Education Minister Richard Bruton is due to visit Castlebar tomorrow amid ongoing concerns over the downgrading of the Mayo GMIT Campus. He will officially open the new education centre at Rush Street in Castlebar while a visit to the Mayo GMIT Campus is also scheduled …” (more)

[Connaught Telegraph, 30 March]

“‘He’s a tough nut to crack, that Enda Kenny fella.’ Killarney engineering graduate, Donal Foley gave this frank assessment after a face-to-face with the Taoiseach on third-level funding, when Mr Kenny visited the University of Limerick yesterday …” (more)

[Jimmy Woulfe, Irish Examiner, 22 November]

“New drugs, better batteries and new materials are just a few of the discoveries expected to emerge from a €86 million investment in a new research institute at the University of Limerick …” (more)

[Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, 21 November]

“One hundred students protested against annual third level fees as An Taoiseach Enda Kenny arrived via garda escort at University of Limerick. Students representing a number of campus societies, including youth wing political parties, grouped together, chanting and raising their placards, while eagerly awaiting An Taoiseach’s arrival …” (more)

[Fintan Walsh, Limerick Leader, 21 November]

“A group of students in NUI Galway were removed by an Garda Síochána after a demonstration calling for the repeal of the Eighth amendment earlier this week. The incident occurred on Thursday night at 7pm, when Taoiseach Enda Kenny arrived to speak at the college. One student who claims she was not involved in the protest was also removed from the building as she was wearing a Repeal jumper …” (more)

[College Tribune, 15 November]

“Taoiseach Enda Kenny has signalled that the Government will engage in talks with unions on a successor to the Lansdowne Road pay accord, however he appeared to warn there will be no money available next year for further rises …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 14 November]

“Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform does not have an endless pot of money and that the Lansdowne Road Agreement still stands …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 4 November]

“Enda Kenny said he wanted Budget 2017 to be as fair as possible. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said plans for a special 30% tax rate for returning graduates ‘beggared belief’, given its discriminating nature …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 28 September]

“Cabinet discussions are under way about short-term funding of third-level education, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said. He said Minister for Education Richard Bruton and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe were discussing the issue …” (more)

[Michael O’Regan, Irish Times, 27 September]

“Micheál Martin: I welcome everybody back and I am delighted to see that it is all systems go for this Dáil session. It is less than two weeks to budget day and there are many issues that need to be addressed. I put it to the Taoiseach that it is essential that there be a realistic response to the Peter Cassells report on the chronic underfunding of third level education …” (more)

[Video is here]
[Dáil debates, 27 September]

“QUESTION: As a graduate of DCU, I have been looking forward to voting in the forthcoming Seanad election. This follows Enda Kenny’s pledge in 2013 to extend voting rights in the Seanad election to all third-level graduates …” (more)

[Brian Mooney, Irish Times, 23 February]

“Two key pieces of legislation now look certain not to have completed their passage through the Oireachtas before Taoiseach Enda Kenny dissolves the 31st Dáil. The Government has tried to expedite the passage of the Technological Universities Bill 2015 and the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 through the Oireachtas before the election was called …” (more)

[Harry McGee, Irish Times, 2 February]

“The new Strategy is a key pillar in the Government’s plan to keep the recovery going and build sustainable economic growth. The Taoiseach and Tánaiste today (Wednesday) launched the new National Skills Strategy 2025 – Ireland’s Future, along with Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan, TD, and Minister for Skills, Research, Innovation Damien English, TD, at the Blackrock Further Education Institute, Dublin …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 27 January]

“The Government’s new science strategy will help bring full employment and a sustainable economy, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said. ‘Innovation 2020 is a fundamental part of our plan to keep the recovery going’, he said …” (more)

[Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, 9 December]

“Enda Kenny’s ‘hail-fellow-well-met’ persona didn’t go down too well when he met with the academic Fellows of Trinity College Dublin. The Taoiseach’s speech-making style has come under scrutiny in the wake of his now infamous ‘Army at the ATMs’ comments in Madrid last week …” (more)

[Fionnan Sheahan, Independent, 31 October]

“The Taoiseach has said that plans to expand voting rights in Seanad elections to all third-level graduates in Ireland will not be implemented before the next election …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 14 October]