Tues Oct 13th, 2015

The government has totally failed to address the funding and staffing crisis facing third level education and is threatening the sector’s very viability, the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) say in response to announcement on education spending.

“Despite providing some expansion in overall education spending, necessary funding to assist third-level colleges recover from years of cuts and staff reductions has not been forthcoming,” IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings said.
He said that the HEA’s analysis that 40% of third-level infrastructure is now sub-standard has been ignored by government.. 
“Colleges have fewer lecturers catering for ever more students, lecture halls are becoming more packed, access to libraries and student supports are becoming ever-more limited.
“The impact of public spend per student in higher education falling below that for second-level for the first time ever is threatening the very fabric of third-level education and our third-level institutions,” 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