Sinn Féin spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Mairéad Farrell TD, has said the government needs to address the University sector’s core funding deficit and the short-term, short-sighted way in which the sector is funded.

Responding to a report today in the Irish Examiner, which said the funding crisis ‘could threaten the viability of Irish universities’, Deputy Farrell said the time for government action is long overdue.

Teachta Farrell said:

“The serious core funding deficit was first identified in the Cassells report back in 2016. Amazingly here we are in the third quarter of 2024 and that deficit stands at around €207m.

“We also have the ridiculous situation where the government did not provide enough funding to the sector to cover the cost of the wage increases that arose from the public service pay deal.

“I raised this with the Minister before the Dáil went on recess. I had called for a supplementary budget to deal with this issue.

“Their failure to act has seen some universities hold back on recruitment. Some Universities are posting financial deficits. Their infrastructure and research equipment continues to deteriorate, and all the while the government is talking about Ireland becoming a place for cutting edge research.

“There is a major gulf, which continues to grow, between the rhetoric from the government and the reality that Universities face on the ground. All the sound bites in the world cannot make up for the funding crisis which continues to get worse.

“It’s time to finally close this deficit and move toward multi annual funding for the sector. It’s time we used the National Training Fund (NTF) to help the sector. I drafted an amendment bill to allow the NTF support the sector’s research infrastructure, but it was ruled out of order. Only the Minister and not opposition parties can amend this.

“Minister O’Donovan needs to try to stamp some kind of authority on his department before the election. If he is looking for somewhere to start, this is as good an issue as any.”