Statement: Bacik Raises Issue of Contract Researchers and Pay Cuts

Labour Spokesperson for Arts and Culture
Wednesday 28th April 2010

BACIK RAISES ISSUE OF CONTRACT RESEARCHERS AND PAY CUTS

Later today in the Seanad, Senator Ivana Bacik will be raising the issue of the impact of pay cuts upon contract researchers working at third-level institutions, as a matter on the adjournment.

Senator Bacik will be asking the Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan, to inform the House, with regard to the application of the recent public sector pay cut to contract researchers in third-level institutions, why the European Commission have indicated that they will refuse to make future payments to universities who are not paying Marie Curie Fellows in full. She will also ask the Minister to confirm whether her Department plans to review the situation with regard to Marie Curie Fellows as the funding will otherwise be lost to the universities concerned.

Speaking on the adjournment, Senator Bacik will say:

“This is a very topical issue on the day when we see the crisis in third-level funding making headlines. The HEA say that third-level colleges will need 4 billion euro extra in funding to cope with the 55,000 additional students they will be taking in over the next decade.”

“It seems ridiculous that the Minister's rigid and inflexible approach to contract researchers will cause colleges and universities to lose valuable research funding. This funding is at risk from external funders like the European Commission, because the Minister will not exempt externally funded third-level contract researchers from the public service pay cuts.”


ENDS