"Whether it is attempts to withhold pay increments, non-filling of vacancies, or seeking not to renew contracts, nothing can be imposed by college managers," said IFUT general secretary Mike Jennings.

“But we will gladly sit down and negotiate with the Higher Education Authority or the Department of Education ways of dealing with any of these questions on a national basis."

Earlier this week at a meeting open to all college staff, UCC president Dr Michael Murphy made it clear that every UCC department would have to find savings to help reduce the university’s  €17 million deficit. National talks on public sector pay and spending could have a further impact, he said.

UCC has around 2,000 employees, including a mix of permanent and non-permanent workers across academic and administration departments. In recent months, a  small number of non-permanent contracts have not been renewed.

As well as payroll budgets, college managers are reviewing spending on consultants, printing costs, and outside travel which is also being restricted.

A UCC spokesperson said that students would always remain the top priority for management.

"We’re trying to find savings as much as possible in every single department but ones which will have least impact on teaching and learning," he said.

Also this week, at a lunchtime meeting attended by 1,000 of the college's 3,500 staff, UCD president Dr. Hugh Brady outlined the university's worsening financial position.
 
He said the accumulated deficit of €15m could increase by up to €20m this year for a number of reasons:

• Further reduction in government funding - down €13m this year already;
• Under-funding of academic disciplines, such as veterinary medicine and Irish folklore;
• Underfunded research overhead costs, combined with a major rise in research activity;
• Implementation of UCD's change programme;
• Implementation of national pay awards which added €15m in pay costs in 2008/2009 alone.

Apart from seeking to avoid an increase in the €15m deficit in day-to-day spending, Dr Brady wants to eliminate the €15m shortfall over a period of five years.

The payroll accounts for 74 per cent of UCD's costs and is a primary target for savings. Non-pay costs will also be subject to tighter controls, such as reduced use of consultants and agency staff and further negotiations on prices with suppliers of services.

Dr Brady said the college would be seeking to increase revenue through maintaining its share of undergraduate student numbers, increasing graduate numbers, and recruiting more international students, as well as raising income from commercial activities.

John Dunnion, of the UCD Academic Staff association blamed most of the financial difficulties on the "continuous neglect by Government in the last number of years of funding for undergraduate teaching". (Sources: Irish Examiner; Irish  Independent)