Universities 'face a deficit of 10pc'
Friday November 14th 2003
UNIVERSITIES said they faced real cuts of 10pc and would have to take drastic economy measures next year.
Options would include the loss of huge numbers of jobs and running up deficits for the first time in years.
Education Minister Noel Dempsey acknowledged that they would have to take difficult decisions when he announced that there would be no increase in the recurrent grants for universities and other designated institutions. The capital budget has been slashed by 47pc to €41m.
The Conference of Heads of Irish Universities responded by saying that for the second year in a row they had been singled out for punitive treatment.
"No provision whatever had been made for benchmarking or other pay increase costs. The effect is the equivalent of €55m to €60m cut in university recurrent funding."
It said that some Irish universities were continuing to train science students in dilapidated laboratories on equipment that was more than 30 years old. Equipment and maintenance grants were withdrawn completely last year.
"Try convincing prospective investors in the country that the graduates produced are top class and leading-edge," said the CHIU in a statement.
It claimed that the government was attacking the quality of provision and facilities for educating graduates who would be the brainpower for driving the economy into the future. This would undermine our competitiveness.
John Walshe
Education Editor
© Irish Independent http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ & http://www.unison.ie/
