Schools are crying out for staff. Last month, a survey showed that 75 per cent of post-primary schools had no applications for teaching posts.
But the problems in education don’t end at second-level. For at least the past 15 years, the third-level sector has been in a state of perpetual crisis.
A lack of funding, precarious work conditions and intense competition for fewer resources means that the once-revered and stable job of lecturing has become less attractive as a viable long-term career.
For the Royal Irish Academy, an all-island learned society dating back to 1785, this crisis had to be addressed.
In 2023, the RIA established the Young Academy Ireland (YAI) with the aim of supporting and amplifying the voices of early-career researchers, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and engaging with society on pressing issues. But can it make a difference?
Dr Deirdre Flynn, a lecturer in 21st century literature at Mary Immaculate College and a member of the YAI executive committee, says the challenges for early-career researchers and students are significant – but that academia is not only a meaningful and impactful profession, it’s one that’s worth choosing as a career.
“When I finished my PhD in 2014, the issue of precarity was not being discussed or really coming up at government level,” she says.
“At that time, rent was a lot cheaper than it is now, so precarity has become even more difficult. Now, however, the issue is at the top of the agenda for [trade] unions and, on my own campus, we are working with HR to formalise contracts.”
Flynn says that, despite academic precarity being identified as a big issue, she has not seen any tangible effort to address it at Government level, although she points out that her union, the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), has been extensively campaigning and lobbying for better conditions in academia.
“Still, Ireland has the second-lowest spend on higher education in the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development],” she says. “We have the highest student-staff ratio.”
Conor Reddy, former president of the Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation (PWO), is currently completing his PhD in Trinity College Dublin’s school of medicine. His work lies in examining the effects of stress and trauma on the immune system.
Reddy says that many PhD researchers are living hand to mouth, sometimes staying in hostels because they can’t afford to rent, or can’t find accommodation.
“There has been some progress for PhD students,” he says. “The stipend was originally €16,500 but it has increased over time and now is up to €25,000.”
[ AI-driven platform addresses high rate of attrition among PhD studentsOpens in new window ]
Only a handful of PhD researchers, however, are awarded a grant. Even for those who are, the PWO contests that PhD candidates should be treated as workers, rather than as students, as they contribute essential research to the higher education sector.
“If we are not workers, we have no access to sick leave or parental leave,” Reddy says.
‘Research infrastructure, buildings and facilities are seen as more important than us – and yet we are central to research and teaching’
— Conor Reddy, PhD researcher at Trinity College’s school of medicine
“This is a particular barrier to women, especially those who start – or want to start – a PhD in later life. It is a problem when people have worked for years and have no PRSI contributions.”
Securing a permanent role in academia requires a strong publication record in refereed academic journals. For non-tenured academics, however, this requires extensive unpaid research, all the while knowing that their submission may be rejected upon peer review.
“Some EU-funded projects are creating precarity through the funding conditions,” says Flynn.
“Best practice should ensure that higher education institutions don’t get funding if they have exploitative work practices, including hourly paid contracts. If you are a lecturer with 500 students, but on an hourly rate, it works out less than the minimum wage when preparation, administration and course management are factored in.”
If academia is so precarious, why does anyone want to get into it?
“I took on a PhD because I love the research,” says Reddy.
“There is no better career than what you are interested in, but I don’t see any security or stability in it. I feel that, because we are so passionate about what we do, we are taken advantage of and we accept less than what we should. We care so deeply about our subjects, but we still need to pay our bills.”
A PhD is so much more than a researcher going in-depth on a particular subject, says Flynn.
“You develop a set of transferable skills that make you an amazing project manager and researcher.
“But until recently, it was difficult for people to speak about the problems.
“I have even been told to tone it down, and that this is how it is, and it’s a rite of passage. The fear of speaking out is huge, but I don’t accept that this is a rite of passage – it is a hiring choice. And it is happening because the sector is so underfunded that they are falling back on cheaper labour. In the meantime, our universities are falling down the rankings, not least because of that staff-student ratio.”
How could these problems be addressed?
“We [researchers] need worker status,” says Reddy. “I do think we are seeing support for improved pay and conditions, but that can be explained by growing concerns over recruitment and retention.
‘Find people who are doing the same kind of role as you, and learn from them about the three most important areas: teaching, funding and publishing’
— Dr Deirdre Flynn, Mary Immaculate College and YAI executive committee
“Yes, it would be more costly if we were made workers, due to employer PRSI and other contributions. There is concern over the type of contracts we might be issued, and that people might claim a contract of indefinite duration [CID] after four years. But we have shown that there are specific-purpose contracts which could allow for dual recognition as both a student and a worker, with a term limit. Other European countries manage this, so we could too, but I think there is ultimately a lack of political will.”
Flynn says that core funding must increase, with the new Minister for Further and Higher Education, James Lawless, actively recognising that high skills – including those developed by PhD and postdoctoral researchers – are crucial for Ireland’s international competitiveness.
“We need to address staff-student ratios and to get rid of the employment control framework that prevents hiring. And we need to have a forum that brings together all stakeholders in this to examine the evidence and provide a roadmap for change.”
Reddy, meanwhile, feels that the higher education funding crisis is not a vote-getter.
“I think that university management understands this and is pessimistic about the small amounts of money that they can wrest from the State,” he says.
“Research infrastructure, buildings and facilities are seen as more important than us – and yet we are central to research and teaching.”
Survival strategies for PhD researchers
YAI, part of a global network of young academies, has a competitive process where approximately 20 early-stage scholars and researchers (up to 10 years post-doctorate) from a range of fields are selected to join.
“We are developing networks among early-career researchers and innovators, addressing challenges, providing mentorship and peer support,” says YAI member Dr Deirdre Flynn.
What about the majority of early-career academics who don’t join?
“Public engagement is central, and we want to facilitate discussions between academics and the general public,” says Flynn.
“We hold public-facing events throughout the year, inviting PhD candidates and early-career researchers, and we have mentorship events throughout the year.
“Academic research can be lonely and isolating, so I’d advise people to get involved in any network they can. Find people who are doing the same kind of role as you, and learn from them about the three most important areas: teaching, funding and publishing. And, of course, you can link in with the YAI.”
- Follow The Irish Times education section on Facebook and X (Twitter) and stay up to date
