The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has criticised the 2% cut in core funding to Higher Education in the Budget, saying it clashes with previously stated IMF policy that investment in Higher Education helps to promote future recovery in countries in economic difficulty.

 

IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, said that the funding cuts are occurring at a time when the number of people seeking to attend Higher Education is the highest in the history of the state and will exacerbate the trend towards forced emigration of a generation of our young people.

 

“Higher Education must be developed to fulfil its potential as a contributor to our society and economy and not subject to automatic cuts in Budgetary considerations,” Mike Jennings said.

 

The IFUT Media Release is available here.