University chiefs call for extra €150m to boost higher education

THE heads of the seven universities have called for over €150 million extra a year to expand higher education and help the country meet its goals as a knowledge-based economy.

In a submission to the Government, the Irish Universities Association has set out plans for linking institutions’ postgraduate programmes and new programmes for lifelong learning and skills development.

They propose that a transformed third-level sector would feed a world-class fourth level. The key elements of this would also include strong links to other stakeholders and investment in the arts, humanities and social sciences to promote research and creativity.

“It is investment in education and research which will secure and expand our ability to absorb, generate and harness new knowledge. This investment will make us more prosperous in economic terms and a healthier society through the innovative application of new knowledge to public policy and services,” the college heads write in their submission.

They welcomed Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s commitments at last month’s Fianna Fáil Árd Fheis to creating a new generation of highly skilled graduates and his ambitious investment plans for research and higher education. But, they said, the universities need to transform to a greater degree than that being supported by the Department of Education if they are to produce new types of third and fourth level graduates.

The IUA proposal argues for an investment fund for 2006 to 2013, with initial estimates of an extra €104m annually in recurrent funding.

But a further €408m during that period, or over €50m a year, would be needed for buildings and infrastructure.

The universities said the recurrent funding sought is less than the State’s annual savings from cutbacks in direct funding in the last three years, amounting to 19% or €120m a year when enrolments rose by 8%.

They propose the funding needs could be met through the Strategic Innovation Fund recently announced for higher education institutions by Education Minister Mary Hanafin, and early activation of the National Research Plan, due to be announced by the Government in the coming months.