University teachers call for end to austerity-era measures hampering recruitment

Research conducted for IFUT found that universities have employed more non-academic staff than academic staff since 2012.

University teachers have called for an end to an austerity-era measure still impacting the higher education sector’s ability to recruit and retain academic staff.

The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has called on Government to immediately abolish the Employment Control Framework (ECF) and to start a recruitment drive.

“Too few academic staff have been recruited and they have been recruited too often on short-term, fixed-term contracts,” said IFUT general secretary Frank Jones.

“Talent is leaving Irish Universities because of the contracts on offer.” 

While employment numbers were being controlled, student numbers increased dramatically, Mr Jones added.

In 2007 before the austerity measures were introduced, the Irish university sector’s student-to-staff ratio was 16:1. The ratio is now 22.4:1.

Research conducted for IFUT found that universities have employed more non-academic staff than academic staff since 2012.

“While the student-to-staff ratio is therefore higher, the student-to-teacher ratio has risen even more in the last decade. This is having a detrimental impact on students, on the institutions themselves, and on the staff in the sector.”

The research community will only be in a position to realistically address the crises we face, including the climate crisis, if staffing is put right without further delay, he added.

“We need more academic staff to be engaged, on fair contracts so that we can be best placed to address the crises that are at play.

“It’s very difficult to find time to think about solving the problems of the world when you’re on a two-year fixed term contract and suffering from anxiety about where you’re going to live, how you’re going to pay your rent and what’s in store for you in two years.” 

The IFUT will hold its annual conference this week, where it will also discuss the recently published Research and Innovation Bill 2023.

As the Government attempts to establish ‘Research and Innovation Ireland’ - an entity that will subsume the Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council – universities need to ensure that this new entity achieves its full potential, Mr. Jones said.

“Anything less will be failure for the sector.”

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