Irish Universities Association

09/10/2026

Speaking at Learnovation 2026, Grace Edge, Head of Lifelong Learning at IUA, outlined why lifelong learning matters more than ever and how widening participation requires a stable funding framework.

“Our research identified almost 36,000 lifelong learners across the seven IUA universities - 23% of total enrolments. The challenge now is to sustain that progress and enable more people to participate.

A university colleague described a senior manager in a multinational who received a 90% course fee subsidy, while a single mother from a disadvantaged community could access no financial support for the youth and community work course she wanted to take. Both have legitimate learning needs, and the country needs both to participate. Yet our current funding frameworks support one and leave the other without a route to affordable learning.

We need to treat lifelong learning as a permanent national necessity.

Successful schemes such as Springboard and Skillnet-supported programmes play an important role, but reach only a proportion of those who could benefit. We need a system that gives everyone multiple and meaningful opportunities to return to learning throughout their lives.”

DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

09/10/2026

The Irish Times view on the funding shortfall facing Irish universities outlines how Budget 2027 delivered just €10m in new core grant funding despite the higher education sector facing a deficit of over €250m.

"Budget 2027 leaves questions hanging in a few key areas. Third-level education is one of them.

The Government’s approach to funding the third level sector is contradictory and short-sighted. Its ambition is to make Ireland a high-tech knowledge economy that not only produces the talent needed for the multinational sector but also provides a foundation for a healthy domestic sector. Well-funded universities and other third-level institutions are a crucial component of this ecosystem.

Linda Doyle concluded her social media post last week with a pithy observation: “We have such ambition but ambition without investment is just a daydream.” Universities have a responsibility, too, to manage their resources more effectively. But the Government would be well advised to take heed of the increasingly desperate calls from the sector and to focus both on affordability and on the provision of the highest level of education possible."



James Lawless TD Marian Harkin

DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

In 2022, Simon Harris accepted that there was an annual gap of €307m

08/10/2026

“This under-investment means we will not be able to respond to increased student demand, including for lifelong learning. There will be increased reliance on international students to balance our books, with no new money for student accommodation or to sustain the quality of our educational offer."

IUA Director General Paul Johnston has described Budget 2027 as a “failure to invest in the future”, which puts at risk the skills and research capacity Ireland needs to remain competitive.

Read more on Times Higher Education: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/irish-students-say-eu150-fee-cut-falls-short-amid-rising-costs



DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

Universities welcome budget measures to ease burden on students, but say financial problems left ‘essentially untouched’

06/10/2026

IUA Director General, Paul Johnston, reacts to the measures announced in Budget 2027 for higher education.

"The Budget outcome for higher education represents a failure to invest in the future. It puts at risk the skills and research capacity Ireland needs to remain competitive.

In 2022, Government acknowledged the higher education sector was underfunded by €307m a year. In Budget 2025, the Government promised €150m extra funding by 2029. That is not being delivered, with only €10m of new core funding in Budget 2027.

Budgets since 2022 have reduced the original funding gap, but, at the same time, unfunded growth in the student population, unfunded pay awards and wider inflation mean that the real gap in funding will remain over €250m a year.

National Training Fund money for AI-related skills is welcome, as, of course, are steps to ease the financial burden on students and families. But the financial burden on universities remains essentially untouched.

State funding per student is now 30% lower in real terms than in 2008, and Ireland ranks 36th out of 37 OECD countries for investment in higher education as a share of GDP.

This under-investment means we will not be able to respond to increased student demand, including for life-long learning. There will be increased reliance on international students to balance our books, with no new money for student accommodation or to sustain the quality of our educational offer.

In 1972, there were 30,000 people in higher education and 1 million people in jobs. Today, there are 250,000 students and almost 3 million people in employment. This is no coincidence. Higher growth and employment depend on higher education.

Not funding the future risks unrealised potential for our country and is an opportunity not taken to future proof our economy and society for the challenges ahead."



James Lawless TD DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

02/10/2026

Ahead of Budget 2027, Paul Sweetman, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, outlines the importance of sustained investment in Ireland's higher and further education sector.

"Ireland's highly educated, adaptable workforce has long been its greatest competitive advantage.

Close collaboration between multinational companies, universities and research institutions continues to power high-value research and development across the US FDI sector.

Sustained investment in education, apprenticeships and research infrastructure will ensure this advantage endures."

Read about IUA's Budget 2027 priorities: https://www.iua.ie/submissions/pre-budget-2027-submission/

02/10/2026

Budget 2027 must tackle Ireland’s universities €250m funding gap.

University Chairs, including UL Chancellor Professor Brigid Laffan, have called for higher education funding gap to be addressed to support Ireland's economic success and democratic resilience.

State funding per student is 30 per cent less in real terms than it was in 2008, since when the student population has gone up by half, and is projected to increase by almost 20 per cent more over the next few years.

Our universities contribute €10 billion to the economy every year – 3 per cent of national income – while the State spends less than 1 per cent of GDP on tertiary education, ranking Ireland 36th out of 37 OECD countries.

For Budget 2027, the Irish Universities Association is asking Government to increase annual core funding by €190 million a year over the next two years:
https://brnw.ch/21x65pG

01/10/2026

Alternative Budgets were published today by three of the main political parties, and we welcome the recognition across all three proposals of the need for increased core funding for higher education.

This recognition is important. However, the core funding proposed by Sinn Féin Ireland and the Social Democrats falls well short of what is needed to address the significant funding pressures facing the sector.

The Labour Party has recognised the scale of the funding gap and is aligned with the IUA in calling for €190 million in core funding for higher education in Budget 2027.

Sustained investment is essential if Ireland’s universities are to continue to deliver for students, society and the economy.



James Lawless TD Ivana Bacik Mary Lou McDonald - Sinn Féin Holly Cairns TD

DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

01/10/2026

As university students gather in Dublin today to protest ahead of Budget 2027, the IUA endorses Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn's call for further action to close the funding gap affecting the higher education sector.

We also share AMLÉ’s concern about the lack of progress in providing urgently needed new student accommodation.

Speaking about today's national student protest, IUA Director General, Paul Johnston, said: "The AMLÉ protest today comes a few days before Budget 2027, which we hope will be a decisive moment for Government support to higher education.

In a world where a small economy like ours cannot influence much and has to accept a lot, what we can – and must – control is how much we invest in our people, particularly but not only young people, and their education, upskilling and reskilling.

With AMLÉ, we look to Government to give us the resources to meet this crucial challenge and to future proof our economy and society for the year ahead of us."

Read IUA's statement in full: https://www.iua.ie/press-releases/30-09-26-iua-statement-amle-student-protest-on-oct-1st/



DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

30/09/2026

Ahead of Budget 2027, Neil McDonnell, CEO of ISME, outlines why Irish universities must be properly funded to meet the demand amongst Ireland's SMEs for workforce upskilling and reskilling.

"Ireland's SMEs are the backbone of our economy and continue to demonstrate a strong appetite for upskilling and reskilling.

A well-resourced higher education sector has a crucial contribution to make in equipping theses innovative companies for a bright future.

It is clear from the IUA’s engagement with business representation bodies that demand for skills development and workforce upskilling far outstrips the funding currently available. Addressing this gap is essential if we are to support businesses and strengthen Ireland’s long-term competitiveness."

Read about IUA's Budget 2027 priorities: https://www.iua.ie/submissions/pre-budget-2027-submission/

30/09/2026

"The gap between what we get and what we need is around €250 million and that's really damaging the offer which we want to make, which is high quality education for our students.

Higher education has been a massive part of Ireland's modern development and our concern would be that if we continue to underfund it on an ongoing basis there's massive unrealised potential there."

IUA Director General, Paul Johnston, spoke to Susan HayesCulleton on Newstalk about the funding deficit facing Irish universities, the need to unlock the National Training Fund to support lifelong learning, and IUA's call for an increase of €190 million in core grant funding in Budget 2027.

Listen back: https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/breakfast-business/irish-universities-association-quoting-a-funding-gap-of-e250m-i



DCU Trinity College Dublin Maynooth University University College Cork University College Dublin University of Galway University of Limerick

Irish Universities Association is quoting a funding gap of €250m in real terms. They say the cont...