Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
1342. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the staff-to-teacher ratio in higher education since 2008, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20358/21]
View answerThe data that the deputy is seeking is available in tabular form from 2011/12 to 2017/18 and is attached. Data from academic year 2018/19 to date is not available as of yet as it has not been finalised.
The ratio is calculated based on the enrolment figures for full time equivalent (FTE) students (full and part time) in an academic year to academic staff reported as at 31 Dec in the middle of relevant academic year.
Since 2015 there has been a significant programme of re-investment in higher education. Funding and policy developments taken in recent Budgets have taken significant steps to address the funding needs of the sector. Most notably, and in line with the recommendation of the Cassells report, a new stream of employer funding was introduced upon a review of the National Training Fund. This level of investment responded to demographic pressures and underpinned a range of initiatives in the higher education sector. Government funding demonstrably increased in the period 2016 to 2020 with increased planned investment in Higher Education, an increase of 25% compared to 2016 – an amount in the order of an additional €370 million bringing the total funding for the sector in 2020 to €1.87 billion pre-Covid (up from €1.5 billion in 2016). This represented the restoration of the peak level of expenditure on higher education achieved in 2008.
Through Budget 2021 funding will be provided to meet demographic and other pressures across the sectors, including Covid-19 impacts, and to provide for additional upskilling and reskilling opportunities, as well as increased capacity and places in the higher education sector.
|
Academic Year |
Universities |
Institutes of Technology |
|
2011/12 |
22.5 |
16.3 |
|
2012/13 |
20.2 |
16.4 |
|
2013/14 |
21 |
16 |
|
2014/15 |
20 |
17 |
|
2015/16 |
21 |
17 |
|
2016/17 |
20 |
16 |
|
2017/18 |
20 |
17 |
Figures are as per Institutional Profiles published on the HEA website.
