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2018

Universities launch campaign to tackle funding crisis

15 Oct 2018
Jim Miley, Director General of the IUA: “If the higher education crisis is not addressed by Government urgently, then we risk a serious drop in quality or a shortfall in places for students in the future."

Ireland’s seven universities have started a campaign aimed at encouraging the public to demand that the Government tackles the funding crisis in Third Level education.

State funding per Third Level student in Ireland, at €5,000, is barely half of what it was a decade ago and a fraction of what it is in other similar-sized European countries. 

Budget 2019 last week, while providing a small funding increase, did not address the underlying gap in funding.

The Irish Universities Association (IUA) has developed its campaign, Save Our Spark, following more than two years of inaction after the publication of the Cassells Report, in which meaningful funding reform for higher education was recommended by a Government-appointed expert group.

Launching the Save Our Spark campaign, Jim Miley, Director General of the IUA said: “If the higher education crisis is not addressed by Government urgently, then we risk a serious drop in quality or a shortfall in places for students in the future.  For the first time ever, all seven Irish universities are coming together to demand urgent action on the funding crisis, as we need substantial investment to accommodate the extra students that are expected to enter the system over the next decade. 

"Our universities are where the Irish spark burns brightest and the key to protecting that spark is securing better state funding. The Government simply can’t continue to ignore this crisis. It’s time to take action now and we’re encouraging students, their parents and everyone with an interest in the future of the country to visit the Save Our Spark website,  sign our petition and contact public representatives about the issue.”

 The campaign will encourage people to sign a petition urging their local TD or Senator to act now and will include advertising on radio, public transport, social media and across university campuses. 

A short video will be promoted across YouTube and other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Irish Universities Association is the representative body for Ireland’s seven universities: Dublin City University, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin and the University of Limerick. 

For more information, see https://saveourspark.ie/ or #SaveOurSpark

For more on this story contact:

Lia O’Sullivan, Head of Communications, Irish Universities Association
lia.osullivan@iua.ie    01 676 4948 / 085 714 1414

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