Teachers federation: Cuts to grants would be 'fatal' to universities
University teachers have said a 5% cut to third-level student maintenance grants in the forthcoming Budget would be "a fatal blow" to such institutions.
It follows reports today that the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn is considering introducing a blanket cut to the payment rather than applying a system of means testing like promised.
Mr Quinn has been told to slash his Department's budget by €106m, meaning cuts to grants and a hike in college fees look more likely.
The Irish Federation of University Teachers said the Minister must not allow education to become the scapegoat for savings and cuts in October's Budget.
General secretary of the federation, Mike Jennings, said: "I think there is an image around, partly because of how hard our people have worked, that the higher education sector can survive.
"People just don't appreciate the reason why it is surviving is because we have used up every spare possibility and every extra effort that is available."
