University chiefs to get advice on cutting costs

THE heads of universities are to be given special advice on how to cut costs as part of the review of spending by Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe.

The minister has revealed consultancy firm Deloitte has already met with the chiefs of institutes of technology to show how Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) cut its payroll costs by €2 million. They met at a workshop last Wednesday, with the consultants offering their services free of charge.

The aim was to see if other ITs could slash their costs in the same way that CIT reduced its payroll bill.