Colleges face sanctions for funding non-compliance

Simon Harris, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, said: "We want to have the best education system in Europe and to achieve that we need to modernise." Picture:Gareth Chaney/Collins

Colleges that do not comply with funding conditions will face sanctions, including having their grants withheld, under new published legislation aimed at reforming the governance of the Higher Education sector.

Under the legislation, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) will be able to set conditions for funding third-level institutions and guidelines on how much of a university’s budget should be applied to its different activities.