We’re calling on the next government to deliver on the promises of Budget 2025 and to #InvestInHigherEd
We urge all political parties and candidates for election to support our key priorities:
- Back Students
- Fund the Future
- Invest in Research & Innovation
It is important that public representatives hear your voice!
You can find the appropriate contact details for your local T.D. here. It would also be helpful to contact any declared candidates for the forthcoming general election in your local constituency.
You may also contact current government Ministers;
- The Taoiseach, Mr Simon Harris, T.D., who served previously as Minister for Further & Higher Education
- The Minister for Further & Higher Education, Mr Patrick O’Donovan, T.D.
- The Minister for Finance, Mr Jack Chambers, T.D.
- The Minister for Public Expenditure, Mr Paschal Donohoe, T.D.
General Election – 5 Big Priorities for Future Talent and Innovation:
Provide an enhanced student experience, with more and better supports for students, by:
1. Delivering in full the Funding the Future commitment to close the €307m per annum gap in core funding and ensuring that government-controlled pay awards and cost inflation are fully funded. This will enable universities to bring student-staff ratios into line with the EU27 average of 17:1.
Build the national research and innovation capacity, so vital for economic growth, by:
2. Creating a new Research Infrastructure & Talent Development Fund (RITDF) of not less than €100m p.a. to drive research and innovation and to support research students. The last PRTLI fund for R&I expired in 2015.
Help deliver the National Climate Action Plan by:
3. Investing €475m over the next 5 years to enable universities to ‘lead by example’ in reducing the carbon emissions of campuses by 51% by 2030 – as outlined in IUA’s detailed proposal to government.
Ensure that talent and innovation are prioritised in our knowledge economy by:
4. Introducing new measures to utilise the National Training Fund, now with a surplus of €1.5bn+, to address current and future skills needs.
5. Retaining DFHERIS, the Dept. of Further, Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science, with a full Cabinet Minister, to ensure that higher education and research remains a top priority to support investment and competitiveness.
