“An Ulster University lecturer has criticised the institution’s ‘galling’ spending after it emerged 65 staff were paid at least £100,000 each year. Right-wing pressure group the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) announced the finding after submitting Freedom of Information requests to 120 universities across the UK …” (more)
[Allan Preston, Belfast Telegraph, 3 October]
“Ireland’s publicly-funded universities spent about €1.5 million last year flying academics around the world on luxury flights, newly-obtained figures show. The biggest spender was University College Dublin (UCD), which paid almost €1 million for business class and premium fares over a year, records released under Freedom of Information reveal …” (more)
[Brian Hutton, Irish Times, 16 September]
“Work on a new Dublin new metro line planned to run under Trinity’s School of Physics could disrupt research taking place in the building, according to the school’s manager. Metrolink, which will link Dublin Airport to the city centre, was originally meant to run underneath the College’s Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), but the proposed route has since been altered and it is now set to lie beneath the Fitzgerald Building …” (more)
[Emer Moreau, University Times, 4 September]
“A High Court judge has overturned the information commissioner’s decision requiring University College Cork to disclose to RTÉ certain information about a €100 million loan agreement between the college and the European Investment Bank (EIB) …” (more)
[Mary Carolan, Irish Times, 3 April]
“A High Court judge has overturned the Information Commissioner’s decision requiring University College Cork to disclose to RTÉ certain information about a €100m loan agreement between the college and the European Investment Bank. The Commissioner must now reconsider RTÉ’s request, made under the Freedom of Information Act, in line with Mr Justice Garrett Simons’ findings …” (more)
[Ann O’Loughlin, Irish Examiner, 3 April]
“Since 2015, 10 allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour have been made against staff members in Irish universities …” (more)
[Orla Murnaghan, University Times, 16 February]
“There have been ten cases in the past three years where lecturers and other staff members at Irish universities have been accused of sexual misconduct …” (more)
[TheJournal.ie, 16 February]
“More than 22,000 animals have been euthanised after being used in scientific research at University College Cork in the last three years. Almost half of the animals euthanised after being used in research were mice, while fish also comprised a significant portion …” (more)
[Kevin O’Neill, Irish Examiner, 12 February]
“A private company which provides cleaning services to NUI Galway is itself ‘cleaning up’ – earning around €1.2 million a year. NUIG has budgeted some €4.8 million for the provision of cleaning services and associated cleaning supplies from a private cleaning company for a four-year period …” (more)
[Dara Bradley, Connacht Tribune, 21 January]
“The merger between IT Tralee and CIT cost over €8.5 million to the end of 2017. The project to merge the Institute of Technology Tralee and the Cork Institute of Technology, which first began in 2009, is currently ongoing, with a view to enrolling the first students in September of this year …” (more)
[Radio Kerry, 16 January]
“Cheating is on the rise in Irish universities and colleges with business studies students most likely to be accused of ‘academic dishonesty’. Since 2010, there have been at least 2,300 cases of students cheating at universities and institutes of technology, according to information compiled by The Irish Times based on Freedom of Information requests …” (more)
[Peter McGuire and Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 20 November]
“The chair of the Higher Education Authority tried to convince its chief executive to reverse his decision to resign over issues such as the risks posed to colleges from underfunding, new records show. Dr Graham Love announced his resignation from the regulatory body for the third-level sector last August, a year and a half after taking up the role …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 10 November]
“Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a group within an application (details supplied) that has been established for communication by members of the Higher Education Authority; his views on whether this is an appropriate method of communication between members of the authority; if a record is kept of all such communications; and if they are subject to freedom of information legislation …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 24 May]
“Provost Patrick Prendergast spent more than €18,000 on airline fares and accommodation abroad in just an eight-month period, The University Times has learned. The documents, received as part of a freedom of information request submitted by The University Times, show that Prendergast has spent €18,069 on travel and accommodation between March and October 2017 …” (more)
[Róisín Power, University Times, 13 March]
“A move by Trinity College Dublin to scrap the title ‘freshman’ has been described by students as ‘absolutely ridiculous’ and ‘an April Fool’s joke’. It was called ‘an absolute embarrassment’, ‘complete nonsense’ and a ‘slap in the face for feminism’ in emails released under the Freedom of Information Act …” (more)
[Gordon Deegan, Independent, 23 February]
“Under the Freedom of Information Act (2003), new information has been released that highlights 3 allegations of sexual harassment made by staff members in UCC last year. UCC has declined to comment further on the nature of the allegations, and did not maintain whether the complaints were made against the same individual …” (more)
[Molly O’Rourke, UCC Express, 15 February]
“Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 has confirmed that UCD is planning to introduce applications for fee supports for refugees and asylum seekers. UCD Access and Lifelong Learning (ALL) will serve as the initial point of contact for refugees, asylum seekers, and those with leave to remain and subsidiary protection status …” (more)
[Brían Donnelly, University Observer, 4 February]
“The Irish Naval Service (INS) was disappointed by the decision of UCC and Cork Institute of Technology to shut down earlier this year a maritime research facility on which the three collaborated. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show the INS claimed a report used by the two colleges to justify the closure of the Irish Marine and Energy Research Cluster (IMERC), in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, contained ‘inaccuracies and unsubstantiated assertions’ …” (more)
[Seán McCárthaigh, Irish Examiner, 18 December]
“The University of Limerick paid out more than €1.9 million in settlements to close to 60 former employees within the past decade, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show. UL refused to comment on how many of those packages it sought sanction for in advance from the Department of Education and Skills, which it is obliged to notify before any severance is approved …” (more)
[Anne Sheridan, Limerick Leader, 22 September]
“NUI Galway will commission a master plan for the Nuns Island area. The university has budgeted €250,000 for a ‘master plan and design project’ for its buildings at Nuns Island in the city centre. Sanction for the master plan was approved at a Governing Body meeting in February, minutes of which were released to this newspaper under Freedom of Information (FOI) …” (more)
[Dara Bradley, Connacht Tribune, 14 August]
