Irish universities are teetering on a ”cliff-edge” due to chronic underfunding by the State over several years which has led to a €250 million deficit in the sector every year, the Oireachtas has heard.
State funding of higher education per student is 34 per cent less than it was in 2008, director general of the Irish Universities Association Paul Johnson told the education committee on Thursday.
“Government has acknowledged the problem but not moved fast enough to address it,” he said, adding the gap in funding now stands at around €250 million per annum.
“Our pre-budget submission thus sought €190 million in additional core funding this year and next to close that gap. Budget 2027 provided only €10 million in new core funding,” Johnson said.