Funding crisis 'could threaten the viability of Irish universities'

Several months after his appointment as chairman of University College Cork’s (UCC) governing authority,Seán O’Driscoll has decided to speak out

A core funding crisis in third-level education is putting the very viability of universities at risk, one of the country’s most respected business leaders has warned.

Sean O’Driscoll, chairman of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), a member of the Ireland 2040 delivery board, and a former chairman and CEO of industrial giant Glen Dimplex, said the “short-term, backdated funding model” does not adhere to basic management principles taught in first-year commerce.