Universities say they will struggle to pay staff this year

Irish universities say they are facing a shortage of funds to pay for existing staff this year due to a gap in government funding to cover the cost of public sector pay increases, writes Carl O’Brien for The Irish Times.

The Irish Universities Association (IUA), which represents eight of the state’s top-ranked universities, said a supplementary budget is urgently required this year to plug a €92 million (US$98 million) hole in their finances.

Jim Miley, the association’s director general, said: “Each university in the state is faced with a shortage of funds to pay for existing staff this year. Collectively, this amounts to €92 million. That is what is needed just to stand still, with a further €171 million required in 2025 to break even. It is now absolutely critical that the government fully funds the pay awards negotiated by them as part of the national pay round.” He said funding of the existing pay award will only maintain the current level of student-staff ratio which “seriously lags the EU average”.
Full report on The Irish Times site