College heads snub minister's pay-cut call
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THE heads of the country's seven universities have snubbed a government plea to take a voluntary cut to salaries worth up to €270,000.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe asked them to "show the way" six months ago by volunteering for a pay reduction. But yesterday the minister made no effort to hide his disappointment. In a blunt message to the seven, he said: "One would have expected that people in such senior positions would do the right thing."
The refusal to reduce their pay comes as tens of thousands of families and students struggle to meet education costs. The seven presidents are all paid more than €200,000 per year, plus allowances or expenses worth thousands more.
Combined, the seven presidents receive over €1.6m in pay. The highest earner is Dr Michael Murphy of University College Cork with a salary of more than €270,000.
One source said the presidents were annoyed at being singled out by the minister as they had already taken a cut through the budgetary levies.
They also got less of an increase than originally recommended by the review body on higher remuneration. The row erupted as new figures show record numbers of students are applying for means-tested higher-education grants this year. Some local authorities are reporting increases in applications of up to 40pc, because parents have lost jobs and family financial circumstances have changed.
Union of Students in Ireland president Peter Mannion said: "It's absolutely outrageous these people won't take a cut when everyone else has done so."
Mr Mannion said that because of delays in processing the applications, many families had to borrow money from credit unions just to allow their children to start college.
"It's grotesque that the presidents are saying their colleges are in debt when they are on such high salaries" he said.
It is understood the presidents had considered the minister's request after it was made in March on the radio. At the time, Mr O'Keeffe said that the presidents were earning much the same money as secretary generals of government departments whose pay had been reduced by 10pc.
While he made no formal written request to the presidents, he publicly exhorted them to follow the example of the secretary generals.
Mr O'Keeffe said that he did not intend to write to the seven presidents now. But he stressed that the Higher Education Authority (HEA) was aware of his views and he assumed it had conveyed them to the college heads.
Voluntary
"It is a voluntary decision for them," he said.
Individual presidents were not available for comment last night. Queries were referred to a spokesman for the Irish Universities Association. He said that a further report from the review body, which is due shortly, would determine salary levels for senior public servants, including university presidents. Sources said the report was likely to recommend salary cuts for some senior public servants.
But the pay issue is fuelling tensions between the minister and the university heads, who are also annoyed over a new staff-framework protocol, which they claim undermines their traditional autonomy.
In future, universities have to get permission from the HEA before they can fill vacancies, and then only on a temporary-contract basis.
One university president, Dr Jim Browne from the National University of Ireland, Galway, has come out publicly in favour of pay cuts across the board in the public sector.
- John Walshe Education Editor
