Whilst UK institutions are facing significant financial challenges, the situation in Ireland seems distinctly difficult according to the Irish Independent.
The paper states that up to 750 jobs are to be cut by December and that academics, research staff and administrative, technical and other support posts will be equally affected by the instructions to reduce numbers by 3% by December:
There will be no compulsory redundancies and the cuts will be achieved through non-filling of posts and the non-renewal of fixed-term contracts. The move is part of the Government’s effort to slash the size and cost of the public sector. The cutbacks mean that colleges also have to get special approval to fill certain jobs. Where a college seeks an exemption to fill a vacancy, it must get permission from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the Department of Education and the Department of Finance.
It must complete a form explaining the basis for filling the post and, in the case of lecturers, confirm all existing lecturing capacity is being used. In the case of lecturers, colleges have been advised that they won’t get approval in the absence of confirmation that all available lecturing capacity is already being used. The HEA has put in place an Employment Control Framework setting out how the colleges are to achieve the cuts.
In the case of academics, the HEA has notified each individual college of the actual number of academic/teaching posts that must go. Colleges have some discretion about what academic posts should be suppressed, but must deliver on the December 2009 bottom line figure dictated by the HEA. In the case of administrative, technical and other support jobs, vacancies may not be filled, contracts may not be renewed and no new posts may be created.
This really is pretty dramatic stuff. Whilst we might think things are pretty bad in the UK, we are a long way from this kind of intervention.
