Ninth Level Ireland

“Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reverse the controls imposed on universities and third-level colleges under the revised employment control framework that applies absolute limits to the numbers and grades of staff in teaching, research and administration that is impeding the development and search for knowledge in a modern and diverse society …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 22 September]

“Universities are being prevented from creating jobs that would help attract fee-paying students from abroad, according to the new provost of Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dr Patrick Prendergast. Colleges’ hands are ‘tied behind our backs’ by government controls on employment, he said …” (more)

[Independent, 20 September]

“This is an expanded and updated version of an opinion piece published in the Irish Times, coauthored with Dr Charles Larkin. Recent commentary in the newspapers suggests that the Higher Education Authority are not happy with the concept of competition …” (more)

[Brian M Lucey, 3 September]

“The recruitment process for six new Teagasc college teachers has begun in earnest after the green light was given by the Department of Finance to break the employment embargo. With the closing date for applications this Friday, Teagasc expects to hold interviews during the first week of next month …” (more)

[Caitriona Murphy, Independent, 19 July]

“Third-level bosses are set to resist attempts to cut further jobs as figures obtained by the Irish Examiner show that some colleges have already reduced staffing by almost 10% in the last two years …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 11 July]

“One of the country’s leading academics, Professor Des FitzGerald, has written to the education minister seeking clarity on the new public sector pay cap of €200,000. The UCD professor wrote to Ruairi Quinn last week expressing support for the 15 per cent voluntary waiver but asking how it is to be achieved. FitzGerald told this newspaper that the minister needed to bring clarity to the plan …” (more)

[Niamh Connolly, Sunday Business Post, 3 July]

“In March, I blogged about the dubious legality of the second Employment Control Framework, which the outgoing government had introduced to control employment in the third level sector. It was misguided and controversial …” (more)

[Eoin O'Dell, Cearta, 22 June]

“The ECF for the higher education sector has been revised. Many elements from the last version have been changed. The last draft introduced a range of measures …” (more)

[Liam Delaney, Irish Economy, 22 June]

“The government has agreed to amend controversial new rules on higher education recruitment. The rules had been labelled ‘Stalinist’ and damaging to Ireland’s research interests by senior academics. The ‘employment control framework’ introduced by the last government in its final days, restricted employment in the sector, even to research posts funded from non-exchequer sources …” (more)

[Seán Flynn, Irish Times, 22 June]

“Almost 1,400 staff reductions have been achieved in universities and other third-level colleges in two years, according to new figures from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 22 June]

“Third-level colleges have won a battle for more control over how to apply the latest curbs on staff appointments and promotions. Colleges will still have to reduce staff numbers, but will have greater flexibility in filling jobs …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 22 June]

“Without much noise, the Irish Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, with the agreement of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin TD, has introduced some fundamental changes to the not-much-loved ‘employment control framework’ …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 21 June]

“The Ministers for Education and Skills and Public Expenditure and Reform have approved a revised Employment Control Framework (ECF) for the Higher Education Sector. This revised ECF confirms the previous clarifications provided by the Higher Education Authority and Department of Education and Skills since the issue of the earlier ECF document in March. There are also some further changes as summarised in the note below …” (more)

[Irish Universities Association, 21 June]

“‘These are scary times.’ Thus blogged Prof. Ferdinand von Prondzynski just over a year ago during his tenure as President of DCU. And while the good professor has since moved on to pastures hopefully greener (as Vice-Chancellor of Robert Gordon University in Scotland), the tumultuous state into which Irish third level education was then descending has, if anything, become ever more tumultuous …” (more)

[Kerry Public Service Workers' Alliance, 20 May]

“Three days ago the Irish government launched its jobs initiative. In the document the government stated that, on the following day (i.e. Wednesday, May 11), the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform would announce a relaxing of the requirements of the so-called ‘employment control framework’. This is now Friday, May 13, and no such announcement has taken place; or if it has, it has been done in secret …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 13 May]

“… This suggests that some of the more ludicrous aspects of the ‘employment control framework’ will now be abandoned. We await more information.” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 11 May]

“The Irish government has announced a relaxation of controls on university hiring that have inhibited the ability of the universities to acquire new contract staff, even if funded by non-Exchequer resources. The Employment Control Framework was introduced to put the brakes on public sector hiring. A revised version was agreed by the outgoing government and adopted by the incoming coalition when it assumed office in March …” (more)

[Richard Ahlstrom, Nature News, 10 May]

“… Third Level Education The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is announcing tomorrow a relaxation of the numbers ceiling applying to non-Exchequer funded posts in the Higher Education sector, in order to further facilitate the maximum possible employment creation potential of that sector, while also encouraging  institutions to seek to diversify their sources of funding away from the Exchequer …” (more)

[HT: Brian Lucey]
[Micheal Noonan TD, 10 May]

“… More good reviews for Ruairí Quinn after his first meeting with the seven university presidents. One participant said, ‘At last, there was a sense of real engagement by a Minister in the higher-education sector’. The meeting ranged across all the issues of concern to the college heads, including the dreaded employment control framework …” (more)

[Irish Times, 10 May]

“After the anger generated in the Irish university community over the second phase of the government’s ‘employment control framework’ (under which staff recruitment and promotions in higher education are heavily restricted by the state), it might be asked what has happened to the whole thing …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 28 April]