Further and Higher Education
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-23
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Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire

I understand from talking to AMLÉ and the postgraduate workers that IFUT is also concerned about this. I have not talked directly to it since this information came out but clarifications and reassurances need to be given that there will be no question that, for example, the stipends of €25,000 that have been achieved when researchers applied to Research Ireland will be undermined when they go to the colleges and the universities.
Another concern that was expressed is that because there is more money available from the corporate sector, industry and so on for STEM subjects, the arts could get squeezed and that there will be a pressure because the sector does not want so many people doing postgraduate courses in arts and humanities and wants more of them in areas where the universities can get more money from the corporate sector and industry.
There are serious concerns that need to be addressed and assurances need to be given. One would need to explain why this is happening and what exact benefit there is in this change for research, postgraduate researchers and their staff, incomes, career paths and so on.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-23