Standoff leaves college jobs unfilled

A STAND-OFF between universities and their funding agency over academic autonomy has left hundreds of lecturing posts unfilled despite colleges being given an exemption from the ban on public service recruitment.

Only three applications have been made to fill hundreds of academic vacancies in the seven universities since new arrangements for third level colleges took effect in July, according to figures obtained by the Irish Examiner.

But 18 other third level colleges also funded through the Higher Education Authority (HEA) have sought to replace the equivalent of almost 500 academic posts in the same period, and all but eight have been sanctioned.