Irish Universities Association

The Irish Times view on the funding shortfall facing Irish universities outlines how Budget 2027 delivered just €10m in new core grant funding despite the higher education sector facing a deficit of over €250m.

"Budget 2027 leaves questions hanging in a few key areas. Third-level education is one of them.

The Government’s approach to funding the third level sector is contradictory and short-sighted. Its ambition is to make Ireland a high-tech knowledge economy that not only produces the talent needed for the multinational sector but also provides a foundation for a healthy domestic sector. Well-funded universities and other third-level institutions are a crucial component of this ecosystem.

Linda Doyle concluded her social media post last week with a pithy observation: “We have such ambition but ambition without investment is just a daydream.” Universities have a responsibility, too, to manage their resources more effectively. But the Government would be well advised to take heed of the increasingly desperate calls from the sector and to focus both on affordability and on the provision of the highest level of education possible."



James Lawless TD Marian Harkin

DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

The Irish Times view on third-level funding: the shortfall remains In 2022, Simon Harris accepted that there was an annual gap of €307m

“This under-investment means we will not be able to respond to increased student demand, including for lifelong learning. There will be increased reliance on international students to balance our books, with no new money for student accommodation or to sustain the quality of our educational offer."

IUA Director General Paul Johnston has described Budget 2027 as a “failure to invest in the future”, which puts at risk the skills and research capacity Ireland needs to remain competitive.

Read more on Times Higher Education: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/irish-students-say-eu150-fee-cut-falls-short-amid-rising-costs



DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

Irish students say €150 fee cut falls short amid rising costs Universities welcome budget measures to ease burden on students, but say financial problems left ‘essentially untouched’

As university students gather in Dublin today to protest ahead of Budget 2027, the IUA endorses Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn's call for further action to close the funding gap affecting the higher education sector.

We also share AMLÉ’s concern about the lack of progress in providing urgently needed new student accommodation.

Speaking about today's national student protest, IUA Director General, Paul Johnston, said: "The AMLÉ protest today comes a few days before Budget 2027, which we hope will be a decisive moment for Government support to higher education.

In a world where a small economy like ours cannot influence much and has to accept a lot, what we can – and must – control is how much we invest in our people, particularly but not only young people, and their education, upskilling and reskilling.

With AMLÉ, we look to Government to give us the resources to meet this crucial challenge and to future proof our economy and society for the year ahead of us."

Read IUA's statement in full: https://www.iua.ie/press-releases/30-09-26-iua-statement-amle-student-protest-on-oct-1st/



DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

"The gap between what we get and what we need is around €250 million and that's really damaging the offer which we want to make, which is high quality education for our students.

Higher education has been a massive part of Ireland's modern development and our concern would be that if we continue to underfund it on an ongoing basis there's massive unrealised potential there."

IUA Director General, Paul Johnston, spoke to Susan HayesCulleton on Newstalk about the funding deficit facing Irish universities, the need to unlock the National Training Fund to support lifelong learning, and IUA's call for an increase of €190 million in core grant funding in Budget 2027.

Listen back: https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/breakfast-business/irish-universities-association-quoting-a-funding-gap-of-e250m-i



DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

Irish Universities Association quoting a funding gap of €250m i | Newstalk Irish Universities Association is quoting a funding gap of €250m in real terms. They say the cont...