Trinity turns to foreign donors

TRINITY College Dublin is being forced to rely on foreign donors to fund lecturing posts because of the deepening financial crisis facing the university sector.

As it launched an ambitious strategic plan yesterday, TCD — recently rated 43rd best university in the world by The Times Higher Education global rankings — was bracing itself for another 10% cut in its core funding in 2010, on top of a 7.5% decrease to €88m this year.

But all the universities are in dispute with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Department of Education over a stipulation that any exemption from the public service recruitment ban, which allows them to fill up to a third of vacant academic posts, must first be approved by both bodies and the Department of Finance.