Response to the Department for Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland) 2015-16 draft budget consultation

23 December 2014

Strong and innovative universities make a huge contribution to the economic productivity of Northern Ireland and we deeply concerned by proposed cuts to their funding.

The 2015-16 draft budget for  Northern Ireland includes a 10.8% cut in resources to the Department of Employment and Learning, which is responsible for the funding of higher education.

In the discussions over Northern Ireland’s budget it is important to recognise the value of investing for the future. World-class universities, like Queen's University Belfast, are national assets, they are anchors for growth and jobs as well as being central to society and culture – investing in them should remain a high priority.

Cuts to university funding in Northern Ireland could have a disastrous effect on the country’s economic development, constraining vital research and knowledge transfer, and also impacting on the service economy that grows around dynamic student populations and leading research centres.

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