“According to media reports, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) is soon to publish the results of a study on levels of inequality in access to third-level. That students from poorer households are less likely to attend college is not surprising to anyone who has been paying attention in recent decades …” (more)
[Declan Jordan, University Times, 2 October]
“Sir, – The proposed changes to university governance by the Higher Education Authority Bill will severely damage the academic authority of the Irish universities. The proposed modifications to the Universities Act of 1997 are particularly to be deplored …” (more)
[Sarah Alyn Stacey, Irish Times, 3 October]
“Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received a request for funding for the renovation of the Kane Science Building in UCC; and the consideration given to it …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 1 October]
“The most common query Ireland’s Higher Education Authority is receiving in relation to Brexit comes from school students who hope to study in the UK after their Leaving Certificate exams. These students want to know will this still be possible …” (more)
[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 1 October]
“Sir, – The inequalities in our educational outcomes are stark. A soon-to-be released report from the Higher Education Authority indicates the strong connection between the more affluent members of our society and high results in the Leaving Cert and access to third level, particularly the future high-income courses such as medicine, business, and finance …” (more)
[Denise Burns and others, Irish Times, 19 September]
“The Government has given €5 million in emergency funding to IT Tralee in order to keep the institution afloat. The Irish Times understands that Kerry’s only third-level institution has been experiencing serious cash-flow problems and faced the possibility of drastic cutbacks or not being able to pay staff …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 18 September]
“Irish universities have warned an Oireachtas committee that financial problems facing the third level sector will get ‘considerably worse’ unless there is a significant step-up in investment to support growing student numbers. Jim Miley, director-general of the Irish Universities Association, told the Oireachtas Committee on Budgetary Oversight that student numbers are set to grow by 40,000 over the coming decade …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 17 September]
“The State has approved €100m for five large higher education building projects. The funding is part of ongoing investment in the sector through Project Ireland 2040 and a fund known as the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund (HESIF) …” (more)
[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 30 August]
“When Graham Love resigned as the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) last August, he took with him a hatful of grievances about the administration of Irish third-level. Love, who fretted throughout his tenure about autonomy issues for higher education institutes, has since fired a series of revealing potshots at a government he says ‘actively ignored’ much of the HEA’s advice while he was in charge …” (more)
[University Times, 25 August]
“August means so many different things to so many people. For those of a literary bent, one can point to the delicious long-ago novel by Edna O’Brien, August is a Wicked Month. Of course, to many it is the month of holidays, particularly schoolchildren who this week are facing the familiar feeling of going back to school after weeks of freedom …” (more)
[Independent, 25 August]
“The Board of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) met yesterday and approved the appointment of Dr Alan Wall as CEO of the HEA following an open competition managed by the Public Appointments Service …” (more)
[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 20 August]
“First-class honours and 2.1 grades have increased significantly in most Irish universities, institutes of technology and colleges over the last ten years, an analysis by Noteworthy.ie has found. The upward trend has led academics and recruiters to warn that third-level degrees are becoming ubiquitous, with employers struggling to differentiate one first-class honours or 2.1 degree from another in their search for top talent, and extracurricular activities and work experience becoming increasingly important for students …” (more)
[TheJournal.ie, 13 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]
“Going to college is expensive so Education Minister Joe McHugh’s promise to freeze fees for the next five years will be welcomed by students and their parents. A similar promise has already been made by Fianna Fáil so we can be reasonably sure that fee rises won’t happen for the foreseeable future …” (more)
[Independent, 12 August]
“Investment at campus under Project Ireland 2040 for lecture space, library, offices and upgrade works. The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD has today (Sunday August 11) announced funding of €1.8m towards significant building upgrades at the School of Tourism at Letterkenny IT (LYIT) Killybegs Campus …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 11 August]
“Provost Patrick Prendergast has warned that new government legislation on higher education could jeopardise the autonomy of universities – a move he said could ‘damage’ the sector. In an interview with the Irish Times during a recent trip to Africa, Prendergast said universities highly value their independence …” (more)
[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 6 August]
“Born on the eve of 1971, myself and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Act are the same age. In the near five decades since, I have lost most of my hair, my waist has thickened, and I sometimes forget things. But I have reinvented myself many times, investing in my education and skills, moving from private to not-for-profit to public sector …” (more)
[Graham Love, Irish Times, 6 August]
“The Government is taking over too much control of the third-level education system and is frequently ignoring the expertise of State advisory bodies, according to the former chief executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien and Bill Corcoran, Irish Times, 6 August]
“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]
“The Higher Education Authority (HEA) welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, of the latest steps towards reform of legislation governing the HEA and its oversight of the higher education and research system …” (more)
[Malcolm Byrne, HEA, 25 July]
