Ninth Level Ireland

“Former president of GMIT – Dr Fergal Barry – has claimed he was lobbied by former Fine Gael Ministers Mary Mitchell O’ Connor and Michael Ring over a job at the college. According to the Sunday Times, he’s written to the Department of Further and Higher Education outlining the alleged canvassing by both Ministers on behalf of a candidate …” (more)

[Galway Bay FM, 27 September]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of incidents, reports made or complaints received of academic bullying throughout all universities in each of the past eight years to date; the nature of such events whether professional, gender or race related; the actions taken arising from such complaints by each third-level institution involved; if the practice has ceased; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 24 September]

“Some staff at financially struggling universities and colleges are being paid in book tokens, the Oireachtas spending watchdog has heard. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is to ask the Higher Education Authority to appear before TDs to answer questions about the impact of gaping deficits in third-level funding …” (more)

[Brian Hutton and Shauna Bowers, Irish Times, 24 September]

“Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that Dundalk IT is the only institute of technology not to have formally linked into a consortium to obtain technological university status; the actions his Department and the HEA will take to advance technological university status for Dundalk IT; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 10 September]

“IT Tralee says it’s engaging with the TUI to address a number of concerns. The Teachers’ Union of Ireland raised a number of issues in April, a month before the former Minister of Education approved the merger of IT Tralee and CIT …” (more)

[Radio Kerry, 10 September]

“Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that Dundalk Institute of Technology is the only institute of technology not to have formally linked into a consortium to obtain technological university status; the actions he and the Higher Education Authority will take to advance technological university status for the institute; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 9 September]

“David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of recruiting an additional psychologist for institutes of higher education; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 September]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of each student enrolled as an undergraduate full-time, part-time, remote and FETAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 September]

“Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early March, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has been working closely with Irish higher education institutions (HEIs) and their sectoral representative bodies (IUA, THEA) to both respond to immediate challenges of Covid-19 and to plan for the future …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 11 September]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has said measures have been taken to provide additional college places, including 1,250 places in high demand courses, as course points are likely to rise this year …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 8 September]

“Higher Education Minister Simon Harris pledged to bring forward legislation overhauling current governance structures in higher education institutions, and called some current governance structures ‘archaic’ …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 2 September]

“On the 24th July 2020 as part of the Government’s announcement on the July stimulus package an additional funding allocation of €47.5m was provided for Higher Education skills-related programmes. The HEA are now launching the call for proposals under the Postgraduate Skills Provision and Modular Skills Provision headings …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 28 August]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, has today announced a comprehensive financial package of €5 million to support students’ wellbeing and mental health …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 24 August]

“Our universities stepped up in the fight against Covid-19 and now their vast potential should be harnessed to tackle the environmental challenge …” (more)

[Deirdre Lillis, Business Post, 19 August]

“The Higher Education Authority (HEA) today, Tuesday 18 August, welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, of the launch of the tender process for Bundle 1 of the Higher Education Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 18 August]

“The battle for a new technological university in the south-east has been an uphill battle, with little obvious progress being made since plans were originally published in 2015. The South-East has found itself to be something of an anomaly in terms of access to higher education in Ireland …” (more)

[Faye Curran, University Times, 4 August]

“All third level institutions will be required to produce and publish action plans on tackling sexual harassment as part of efforts to root out sex crimes in colleges …” (more)

[Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner, 27 July]

“Mayo Sinn Fein TD Rose Conway-Walsh has welcomed specific funding to support third-level institutions reopening but has said that students are still ‘in the dark’ about how blended learning will work …” (more)

[Connaught Telegraph, 23 July]

“The Higher Education Authority (HEA) today, Wednesday 22nd July, welcomed the publication of a high-level Government Roadmap towards the return to higher education in autumn 2020 by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister of State Niall Collins TD …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 22 July]

“The third level education sector is facing a 500 million euro loss in funding this year according to a May report released by the Higher Education Authority, and with each passing day it seems unlikely universities will receive anything close to half of that funding from the government …” (more)

[Emma Nevin, The College View, 21 July]