Ninth Level Ireland

“Trinity College Dublin is reducing its staff-student ratio and also aims to become Ireland’s largest research institution, under a new five-year strategic plan. The university will increase student numbers from 18,500 to 21,500 by 2025, partly to cater for the surge in school-leavers coming down the tracks …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 11 March]

“University of Limerick’s student’s union, UL Student Life, has released a statement this Monday afternoon on behalf of the university’s students regarding UL’s new controversial accommodation policy. UL Student Life has said that the new accommodation policy outlined last Friday to students ‘is not acceptable’, and have demanded …” (more)

[Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 24 February]

“Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education, Thomas Byrne, has questioned why the number of students in receipt of the SUSI grant is declining while the number of students attending third level education is increasing …” (more)

[Fianna Fáil, 12 January]

“If there really is a funding crisis in higher education, you wouldn’t know it to look around UCD’s sprawling campus at Belfield, south Dublin. Cranes on the skyline are a sign that thousands of new student beds are under construction on campus …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 11 December]

“UCD is planning to enrol thousands of additional students and hire more than 500 academic staff over the coming years under expansion plans which, it says, will make it the largest third-level institution in Ireland. The university is projecting that its student numbers will grow by 25% over the next decade – up from about 25,000 to 32,000 – driven by a combination of domestic and international students …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 11 December]

“The growth in the proportion of international students attending Irish third-level colleges is significantly outpacing that of Irish students, new figures show. International student numbers grew by 26% in the past three years, climbing to 14,412 this year. Irish student numbers grew by 5% over the same period, or some 122,257 in 2019 …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 24 October]

“It’s almost a year to the day since this Editorial Board wrote that ‘shouting from the rooftops’ about the demise of third-level – once considered reputationally damaging for the sector even as its stakeholders fought its decline – had become increasingly normalised …” (more)

[University Times, 20 October]

“Trinity’s Fellows are divided over an idea mooted by Provost Patrick Prendergast that could see the number of Irish students admitted by the College fall dramatically in the coming years, with some rejecting it for ‘moral reasons’ while others argue it is ‘only option available’ to a College in rankings freefall …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 16 October]

“Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the third level institutions which have informed his Department of plans to reduce enrolment in the coming years; the institute and planned enrolment reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 9 October]

“Hundreds of teachers and special needs assistants will be hired over the coming year to meet the needs of our growing school population. Overall, the education budget next year will climb to a record high of €11.1 billion, up about 3% on last year. The bulk of additional funding will go towards demographic pressures and maintaining existing pupil-teacher ratios …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 8 October]

“In the public sector, there is only ever one solution to problems, and that is to call for more funding. Sadly, Irish universities are no different. Two stories last week illustrate the tendency. The first revealed that Trinity College in Dublin is considering reducing the number of Irish students who can attend in future unless the Government provides more resources …” (more)

[Eilis O’Hanlon, Independent, 6 October]

“Sinn Féin Education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD has said that the proposal being considered by Trinity College to reduce the places available for Irish based students by a quarter over the next 5 years is a cause for concern, and reflects the underfunding of the third level sector. Speaking this morning, Teachta Ó Laoghaire said …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 3 October]

“Trinity College Dublin is considering cutting its intake of Irish students by up to a quarter over the next five years in order to protect the quality of its education. Such a move would likely result in a sharp increase in the number of CAO points required for courses due to increased competition for fewer places …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 2 October]

“Provost Patrick Prendergast has warned that Trinity may need to reduce the number of students it admits in the next five years, arguing that reducing the staff–student ratio is crucial if the College is to arrest slides in university rankings. Speaking today on the Seán O’Rourke show on RTÉ Radio 1, Prendergast said …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University News, 2 October]

“Despite being better educated overall – women aged 25-64, with a degree in Ireland earn 28% less than their male counterparts, according to a new report. This is among the findings in an annual overview of structure, finances and performance of education systems in the developed world, by the international think-tank OECD …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 10 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]

“The purpose-built student accommodation market has seen continued growth in both development and investment activity over the 12 months to the end of June. According to a report by Cushman & Wakefield, a total of 2,133 PBSA bed spaces have completed construction during the period bringing total standing stock in Dublin to 13,476 bed spaces …” (more)

[Donal Buckley, Independent, 29 August]

“More money is needed so our universities are not left to crumble. Third-level funding stands at €138m less than what is needed to cater for our rapidly expanding student numbers. But where should the money come from? And how many graduates do we need? Isn’t it time to question our obsession with herding every young person off to college at the taxpayers’ expense? …” (more)

[Lorraine Courtney, Independent, 29 July]

The Irish Universities Association (IUA) is today launching its pre-budget submission for 2020 calling on the government to support Ireland’s universities to underpin the talent, research and innovation required for today’s knowledge economy and the growth in student numbers …” (more)

[IUA, 25 July]

“SIPTU representatives have today (Wednesday, 17th July) said that any proposed legislation to introduce greater regulation and reform to the governance of higher education cannot be used to divert attention away from the growing funding crisis facing the sector …” (more)

[SIPTU, 17 July]