Ireland's Universities Under Funded

A joint statement by two of Ireland's biggest universities has said there is a serious funding problem in third level education institutes that must be addressed.

Both Trinity College and University College Dublin have suggested they have experienced a 30% cut in investment over the past 10 years.

College Presidents Hugh Brady of UCD and John Hegarty (Trinity) have said the universities are "significantly constrained" in comparison to leading international institutions – with operating budgets three times that of Irish universities.

The statement also says that the staff-student ratios are also much more favourable in institutions outside Ireland.

Of more concern however is that on a per-student basis, core funding has been reduced by one-third since 1995 in real terms, according to the statement.

A spokesman from the Irish Department of Education said funding has increased year by year.

Meanwhile, maintenance and upgrading of the infrastructure for third level teaching has stopped because of a lack of funding.

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin is also to develop a new long-term strategy for higher education, but Dr Brady and Dr Hegarty say it must not shirk the immediate funding problem.

(DW)