Tuesday Oct 14th, 2014
The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has expressed its strong disappointment at the failure of the Budget to address the crisis facing third-level education.
“While the HEA has recently acknowledged that 40% of third-level infrastructure is now sub-standard, the government has announced just one initiative in the entire infrastructural area for third-level,” Mike Jennings, General Secretary of IFUT says.
“Student numbers continue to expand rapidly while academic staff numbers continue to decline. Third-level education is being hollowed out from within.
“Between 2008 and 2012 recurrent grant allocations to universities and colleges fell by 25%. In 2012 the public spend per student in higher education fell below that for second-level for the first time ever.
“The Budget, despite relaxing constraints in many areas of spending and taxation, has failed to deliver necessary funding to assist third-level colleges, staff and students,” Mike Jennings said.
ENDS
For further information on this media release please contact:
John Gallagher, John Gallagher Consulting. Tel. 087.9369888
Mike Jennings, General Secretary, IFUT. Tel. 087.6776747
