Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2012
296. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the list of efficiencies achieved over the past year by the Higher Education Authority following the reduction in core funding for higher education in Budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49956/12]
View answerUnder the Employment Control Framework, introduced in the higher education sector, core staff numbers were reduced by 7.3% between December 2008 and December 2010 i.e. significantly in excess of the 6% reduction which had been required. Core staff numbers were further reduced in 2011 bringing the total reduction against 2008 to c. 9% by end December 2011. (It is to be noted that over the same period, overall public sector numbers decreased by 7.2%). As further reductions are required in the sector in 2012, it is anticipated that total core staff numbers will have been reduced in total by a minimum of c. 10% by end December 2012.
In the context of reducing staff numbers outlined above, full-time student numbers increased by 17,000 or 12% between December 2008 and December 2011. Furthermore, institutions have continued to engage proactively with sectoral labour market initiatives e.g. Springboard.
Some of the decrease in funding has been addressed through the internal reform of institutions; through mechanisms that have stimulated increased productivity, such as the Croke Park Agreement, and through institutions' diversification of their funding base to include income from philanthropic and commercial sources. Institutions are continually engaging in shared services and procurement initiatives to effect savings. The HEA has emphasised the need for all HEIs to review the full range of services they provide and their associated cost structures with a view to reducing or eliminating unnecessary or unsustainable costs particularly in the area of unnecessary programme duplication.
