Ninth Level Ireland

“An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD today (Thursday 7th November) joined Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD, Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation Heather Humphreys TD, Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, and Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development John Halligan TD. to launch the €300 million Human Capital Initiative and the Skills and Talent pillar of Future Jobs Ireland …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 7 November]

“The school’s design suggests the primary motivation was creating new revenue streams, not giving undergraduates a place to learn. In 2013, planning permission was placed for the new six-story Trinity Business Building. On the May 23, 2019, it was proudly opened by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. This was a momentous occasion …” (more)

[Celine Delahoy, Trinity News, 20 October]

“The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has defended his government’s record on investment in third-level institutions in response to a question about Trinity’s fall in global rankings. The Taoiseach made his comments yesterday whilst on a visit to the United Nations in New York. When asked about Trinity’s falling position in the rankings, he claimed there has been a ‘substantial injection of cash into our universities’ …” (more)

[Shannon Connolly, Trinity News, 27 September]

“WIT lecturer Dr Ray Griffin talks to Julie Smyth about the upcoming budget, what Paschal Donoghue can do to boost the South East’s economy and why, as an academic working in the region he is frustrated with the Taoiseach’s reported ‘frustration’ regarding the formation of a Technological University for the South East …” (interview)

[Spreaker, 15 September]

“Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has spoken of his frustration with the protracted progress of the Waterford IT/IT Carlow submission to create a Technological University of the South East (TUSE) …” (more)

[Dermot Keyes, Waterford News and Star, 12 September]

“Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he is very frustrated at the lack of progress in the establishment of a Technological University in Waterford. The application for the TU South East from WIT and IT Carlow has still not been submitted after a memorandum of understanding between both IT’s was rejected by the unions in Carlow …” (more)

[Sinead Aherne, WLR FM, 9 September]

“Minister for Education Joe McHugh has pledged not to raise college fees past €3,000 for the next five years if his party is returned to government in the next general election. In a move that echoes the recent promise by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar not to increase Ireland’s fees …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 11 August]

“Developers are increasingly pursuing student accommodation or co-living developments at the expense of family homes, experts have warned. Schemes that targeted first-time buyers are slowing amid tight restrictions on mortgage lending but are increasing rapidly when it comes to apartment builds …” (more)

[Gareth Morgan, Independent, 9 August]

“The Taoiseach says he’s confident the Technological University for the South East can be achieved within the next year. The application from WIT and IT Carlow still has not been submitted. It hit another delay last month when a memorandum of understanding agreed between management at both IT’s and the Teachers Union of Ireland was rejected by union members in Carlow …” (more)

[Sinead Aherne, WLR FM, 18 July]

“Minister for Education Joe McHugh has said reducing student contribution charges by a third would cost the government over €76 million, while taking €500 off the charge would set the Department of Education back €38 million …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 12 July]

“The abolition of the student contribution fee would cost the government €229 million, according to Minister for Education Joe McHugh. McHugh, answering questions in the Dáil this week, said the cost of abolishing Ireland’s fees – which currently stand as the second highest in the EU – would hit the budget of the government’s grant scheme …” (more)

[Cormac Watson, University Times, 5 July]

“This week, Provost Patrick Prendergast, Dean of Trinity Business School Andrew Burke and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar cut the ribbon on Trinity Business School’s new building on the east end of campus. Now located within walking distance of the so-called Silicon Docks, it is an exciting time for the school, which is also now just one accreditation away from being listed in the top ranks of world business schools …” (more)

[University Times, 26 May]

“Trinity College Dublin unveiled its new €80 million business school on Thursday, formally opened by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. The new flagship building, which opens on to Pearse Street, was funded by a large European Investment Bank loan to be repaid over 30 years, and €20m in philanthropic donations …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 23 May]

“Trinity College Dublin’s new €80m Business School was opened today by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. The new building will house the scaled up Trinity Business School, a global leader in innovative business education programmes …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 23 May]

“Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was greeted by a silent protest at the University of Limerick this Thursday lunchtime. Students were demonstrating against the continued use of Direct Provision in Ireland, with UL student life welfare officer Lorcan O’Donnell describing it as ‘inhumane’ …” (more, video)

[Nick Rabbitts, Limerick Leader, 2 May]

“TU Dublin was established in January and the Munster consortium submitted their application in February. However, the South East grouping has yet to follow suit. Speaking in Waterford, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called on them to act …” (more)

[Liz Reddy, WLR FM, 1 May]

“Student groups have welcomed comments from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar which appear to rule out a student loan scheme or increase in fees for higher education. Until now, Mr Varadkar has voiced his opposition to ‘US or UK-style’ student loans schemes but has not ruled out other loan schemes which involve smaller levels of debt …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 27 March]

“Further increases to student fees or the introduction of a student loan scheme have been ruled out, the Irish Examiner can reveal. In a ‘highly significant’ development, the Government has rejected two of three recommendations contained in a 2016 report into how a gaping hole in third-level funding is to be filled …” (more)

[Daniel McConnell, Irish Examiner, 27 March]

“Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has suggested it could be ‘make sense’ to extend the MetroLink line to UCD and on to Sandyford in future years. His remarks came as he was challenged in the Dáil on the current plan for the Metro Line to stop at Charlemont in the south city and the abandonment of the proposal to continue it along the existing Luas Green Line to Sandyford …” (more)

[Cormac McQuinn, Independent, 26 March]

“Officials from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have been urging members of the Oireachtas to amend legislation, allowing the institute to describe itself as a university in Ireland and overseas. Under current legislation, RCSI may describe itself as a University of Medicine and Health Sciences overseas but may not do so in Ireland …” (more)

[Brían Donnelly, University Observer, 22 January]