The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) welcomes the government’s acknowledgement of the pivotal role further and higher education, research, and innovation play in Ireland’s economic and societal development. However, while the Programme for Government includes several commendable initiatives, it falls short of offering the transformative vision and robust funding commitments required to tackle the chronic challenges facing the higher education sector.

In the lead-up to the general election, IFUT activists and branches worked tirelessly to highlight the specific issues plaguing higher education. Our October 2023 report outlined a 12-point action plan designed to deliver meaningful improvements for all stakeholders in the sector. This plan formed the basis of our pre-election advocacy, which included direct engagement with political parties and individual candidates. We distilled our demands into six key priorities, encapsulated in a pledge document that accompanied our “Zero Precarity, Full Potential” campaign. Disappointingly, the Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, ignores these priorities.

Key Omissions and Missed Opportunities

The Programme for Government is notably silent on crucial issues such as precarious employment in higher education, deteriorating staff-to-student ratios, and the need for formal sectoral engagement between trade unions and employers. These omissions underscore a lack of understanding or commitment to addressing the realities faced by those working and studying in the sector.

While the Programme repeatedly references investment in education as “essential” and “core” to the nation’s ambitions, this rhetoric stands in stark contrast to the absence of concrete measures to resolve long-standing funding deficits. For decades, Ireland’s universities and colleges have been starved of resources. The promise to “close the core funding gap by unlocking the National Training Fund” is a step in the right direction but remains vague. Without immediate and transparent allocation of these funds, the sector cannot meet increasing demands.

Overemphasis on Economic Alignment

The Programme’s heavy focus on aligning education with the economy and labour market is particularly concerning. While skills development and technological innovation are undoubtedly important, they cannot overshadow the broader purposes of higher education. The humanities, social sciences, and arts receive only cursory mention, leaving their future support uncertain. A truly world-class education system must value intellectual growth and societal contributions beyond narrow economic metrics.

Student Support: Insufficient Progress

The commitment to reduce the Student Contribution Fee and enhance maintenance grants is welcome. However, clarity is needed on the pace and scale of these reforms. Students and families are under immense financial pressure, and the government must act swiftly to deliver meaningful relief. Without accelerated action, these promises risk becoming hollow.

Pastoral care for students can’t be met in an environment where staff-student ratios are among the worst across the OECD countries. 

Research and Innovation: Promises Without Support

While the Programme’s aspirations for research and innovation are admirable, they lack the bold funding commitments required to make them a reality. Increasing support for PhD and postdoctoral researchers is long overdue, but this must be paired with efforts to address the precarious working conditions many researchers endure. Without a stable and supportive environment, Ireland risks losing its brightest minds to better-resourced systems abroad.

Terms of employment, including pay, for researchers should be arrived at through collective bargaining and not set exclusively by funders and employers.  This programme fails to make any commitments in this regard.

Housing Crisis: A Barrier to Access

Plans to expand student accommodation fall far short of addressing the scale of the current housing crisis. The lack of affordable housing is a significant barrier for both students and staff. Rehashed commitments will not suffice; ambitious, state-led solutions are urgently needed to ensure affordable accommodation is available nationwide for students and staff alike.

Conclusion: The Struggle Continues

The government’s proposals represent a missed opportunity to deliver a bold, holistic vision for higher education in Ireland. While there are positive elements, the Programme fails to address foundational challenges. As educators, researchers, and members of the academic community, IFUT urges the government to move beyond vague aspirations and provide the resources and reforms necessary to build an equitable, well-funded, and world-class education system.

Higher education is not merely a tool for economic growth; it is the bedrock of a fair and thriving society. The government must do more to reflect this reality in its policies and priorities. For those of us dedicated to improving higher education in Ireland, it is clear that the interests of our sector were not a priority for the authors of this Programme for Government. The struggle for meaningful change continues.