MTU among universities at 'breaking point' with lack of funding

Tim Horgan, Head of Faculty of Engineering and Science at Munster Technological University (MTU) said their apprenticeship programmes are already “at breaking point” without more capital funding to expand their facilities.

Munster Technological University (MTU) is one of a number of higher education institutions at “breaking point” due to a lack of State investment, an Oireachtas Committee has heard.

The 2016 Cassells Report on the future of funding higher education recommended that additional annual funding of €600m be delivered to institutions by 2021. The actual increase in direct state recurring funding for higher education in 2021 was just €121m.

Chair of DCU Governing Authority and a member of the expert group that prepared the Cassells Report, Bríd Horan, said that meeting its recommendations are essential to fill “serious gaps in core and capital funding”.

Speaking before the Oireachtas Education Committee on Tuesday, Ms Horan said that the failure to reach the recommended annual funding increase of €600m per year by 2021 equates to a total shortfall of over €2bn in core funding since the report’s recommendations in 2016.

“The system has been incredibly adaptable, and has really flexed and adjusted and lived within really constrained means, but I also would observe that it is therefore under stress. And I think that stress is showing in terms of the staff and the leadership within the sector. I think it's becoming increasingly difficult for them to stretch those resources. I think we have stretched those resources close to breaking point,” she said.

Under pressure

Under particular pressure are newly formed technological universities, said Marian Duggan, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Registrar of Technological University of the Shannon Midlands Midwest (TUS).

She highlighted that TUs in early stages of development do not have the same legacy, philanthropic or alumni funding as traditional universities, as they try to satisfy the ambitions of Government to contribute to the skills and talent pipeline.

Tim Horgan, Head of Faculty of Engineering and Science at MTU, said its apprenticeship programmes are already “at breaking point” without more capital funding to expand their facilities.

“The quality of training and education is absolutely superb. But unfortunately, the infrastructure dates back to 1974 and hasn't really been modified since.

 "We're looking at facilities with male-only toilets, with poor access for those with disabilities, no changing facilities, no recreational space for students, but yet we're asked to take in more and more students. It's a big ask and it's going to stop at some stage because we've reached breaking point, and won't be able to take in further students,” he said.

Maxed out

“The ask is for us to increase the number of craft apprenticeships coming through the system. We've responded, but at the moment we have approximately 274 hours of teaching online, because we simply don't have the physical space to bring apprentices on campus. 

"So that might give you an indication of the pressure we're under at the moment… We're at a max, we can't go beyond what we have at the moment, and being the largest provider of craft apprenticeship programmes in the country it worries me how are we going to respond to the increased numbers coming through,” he added.