University funding cuts ‘will hit healthcare’

FUNDING for university buildings to train extra workers for the health sector will no longer be a priority as third-level institutions continue to be hit by cutbacks.

The Department of Education has told the Higher Education Authority (HEA) they cannot guarantee funding for new buildings and equipment for health courses, despite chronic staff shortages in the sector.

The development is a further setback to the third-level sector, which is still awaiting €150 million promised last November for a once-off series of research grants.