The inability of Technological Universities to appoint professors is causing significant regional imbalance that needs to be urgently addressed, according to the President of Atlantic Technological University (ATU), the largest university outside of Dublin.
ATU President Dr Orla Flynn has called for urgent Government action to establish Professorships within the Technological University sector, adding that it is a regional imperative for the west and north west.
ATU formed in 2022 with the merger of Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Sligo Institute of Technology and Letterkenny Institute of Technology, and it has a student population of more than 30,000 learners.
Dr Flynn said when the Technological Universities Act was passed in 2018 - TUs were established to be driving forces within their regions for economic growth, skills development and innovation.
"Since then, we are still not allowed to appoint professors. That has resulted in a serious imbalance where the greater Dublin region has approximately 370 professors.
"There are zero in the north west and in other regions of Ireland. There is not a single professor north of that Dublin/Galway line in the Republic of Ireland," Dr Flynn said.
"Professorships are not simply job titles - they are the foundation stones for balanced regional development".
"ATU is an anchor for regional development in the west and north west… but without Professorships, we are hampered in building the research capacity and innovation ecosystem required to deliver on our promise."
It is estimated that long established universities employ between 10 and 15% of staff at Professor level. Dr Flynn has said the issue is not about budget or legislation.
"We’re waiting on Government approval. I know our Minister [James Lawless] has been extremely supportive, but really the efforts need to be pushed on.
"We started a new pharmacy degree in Sligo. We will be starting a new veterinary medicine and surgery degree.
"It’s ludicrous to think that we can’t appoint professors to lead the research programmes associated with those programmes like every other university in Europe".
Five Technological Universities have been established in recent years through the merger of institutes of technology. They have more than 100,000 students enrolled.
Technological University Dublin was established in 2019. Munster Technological University and Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest were established in 2021 while Atlantic Technological University and South East Technological University were established in 2022.
ATU has citied research that indicates that if professors accounted for 5% of TU staff by 2030, that the national economic impact would be in the region of €2.8 billion. Dr Flynn has asked the Government "to move without delay".
"Professorships are vital if ATU and the wider TU sector are to deliver on Ireland 2040, Impact 2030, and the ambitions set out in the TU Act."
A spokesperson for the Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless said he is committed to progressing this matter as outlined in the Programme for Government.
The spokesperson said: "From both an educational and research perspective, it is critical that Technological Universities can retain and attract talent and compete with the traditional universities."
They concluded that Minister Lawless "has engaged with colleagues extensively on this matter, including with Minister Chambers, and is awaiting a response from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform said both departments "are engaging at official level to progress a proposal" on the introduction of new Professorship grades at Technological Universities.
