News & Events

The European Investment Bank will provide EUR 60 million towards development of the NUI Galway campus. The first ever loan to the university from Europe’s long-term lending institution, agreed in Galway earlier today, will finance construction of campus developments including new student residences and a new building for the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. At the signing, Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway said: “The University is nearing the conclusion of a ten year capital development plan, which has transformed our campus.  While philanthropic and State funding have enabled much of this expansion, the support from EIB will assist in the completion of our new Human Biology Building, which will transform the learning environment for our health science students, as well as the development of new campus student accommodation.  Construction of new residences for 430 students is well underway, and at a time when there are such significant issues nationally with supply of housing, we are looking forward to having this increased capacity during the next academic year.”  “Future generations of students will benefit from the transformation of Galway’s already impressive campus made possible by the EUR 60 million EIB financing agreed today. Irish universities are recognised around the world for both their academic and research renown, and enjoyable student experience. The European Investment Bank is committed to ensuring that world-class third level institutions across Ireland can build on these strengths in the years ahead. This follows successful cooperation between the EIB and all Irish universities and EUR 1.2 billion support for Irish education investment in recent years.” said Andrew McDowell, European Investment Bank Vice President. Following agreement for the new financing for NUI Galway the EIB will have supported campus investment at all seven members of the Irish Universities Association. Over the last decade the EIB has provided EUR 1.2 billion for education investment across Ireland, including EUR 675 million for investment in third level education in the country. EIB loan agreed in Galway The first ever EIB loan to the university was formally agreed in Galway earlier today by Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway and Andrew McDowell, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank.  “I have set the ambition to make Ireland’s Education and Training Service the best in Europe within a decade. Investment from the European Investment Bank has made a significant contribution towards advancing us to this goal. State of the art facilities are key to being the best and in recent years, new schools and universities in Cork, Limerick, Maynooth and Dublin have been transformed as a direct result of the EIB’s commitment to Ireland. Less than three years ago the EIB set out to ensure that all Irish universities could benefit and now Ireland is the only country in Europe where all universities have benefited from EIB backed investment.  Today’s meeting with the Irish Universities Association will set out how to ensure that Irish education continues to benefit from EIB’s technical experience and financial expertise.” said Richard Bruton, Minister for Education and Skills “The new EUR 60 million EIB loan to NUI Galway will ensure that the university continues to lead research across a range of disciplines including medtech.  Strengthened EIB backing for Irish universities in recent years is ensuring that students, researcher and staff at Irish universities are already benefiting from better facilities and the latest technology across the country. The EIB’s firm commitment to support future investment is a clear vote of confidence in world class Irish universities.” said Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Minister of State for Higher Education. During the visit the EIB delegation saw at first-hand how ongoing modernisation and new construction was transforming research, education and recreation at the university. Completion of dedicated Irish university financing programme The new financing agreement between NUI Galway and the European Investment Bank marks the successful completion of a dedicated initiative to support capital investment at Irish universities launched in October 2015 and ensure that all Irish universities could benefit from low-cost, long-term EIB financing. In recent years the EIB has financed transformational investment to improve teaching, research and student facilities at Trinity, UCD, DCU, University College Cork, Maynooth University and the . University of Limerick.

Council of Europe finds that Ireland violated the European Social Charter the right of the family to social, legal and economic protection. The Council of Europe has today upheld a Collective Complaint that Ireland has violated Article 16 of the European Social Charter on the right of the family to social, legal and economic protection. Adequate housing is viewed as an integral element of this right. The Council of Europe held that Ireland failed to take sufficient and timely measures to ensure the right to housing of an adequate standard for a significant number of families living in local authority housing, and therefore there is a violation of Article 16 of the Charter in this respect. This Collective Complaint was facilitated by the Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy at NUI Galway, working in association with local tenants groups in the main cities, law centres and Non-Government Organisations, involved the submission of detailed evidence of housing conditions on local authority estates, with associated human rights standards. Some 90% of the estimated 130,000 Irish local authority tenant households live on estates. Dr Padraic Kenna, Director of the Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy at NUI Galway today welcomed this landmark decision, saying: “We have been working with tenants groups, law centres, national and international human rights agencies, over the past five years. Our students at the University researched the European human rights norms. This decision marks a significant historical development, which could enhance the development of Irish State housing policy.” The Irish State does not support any national organisation of its tenants, who could be consulted or participate in framing legislation or housing policy, unlike almost every other European country. There was no opportunity, within Ireland, for these tenants to have the collective issues examined in any systematic way. They could submit this European Complaint only through other organisations. Many issues faced by Irish local authority tenants could be resolved by tenants associations. Dr Kenna added: “Of course, nothing in this complaint was intended to diminish respect for the valuable and dedicated work of national and local authority housing professionals, or the committed work of voluntary and community groups and public representatives, who work tirelessly to improve the situation of local authority tenants in Ireland. This issue is more complex. State housing in Ireland generates a surplus after maintenance costs are deducted from rents. A recent report from the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) shows that local authorities generated a surplus of €40 million in 2014, from their housing, used to cross-subsidise other services.” The Council of Europe noted that complete statistics on the condition of local authority housing have not been collated since 2002. It also noted that a significant number of regeneration programmes have not been completed, leaving many local authority tenants in unacceptable housing conditions. Significantly, housing standards for 30,000 tenants of approved housing bodies are now regulated by the Residential Tenancies Board, but there is no such regulation of State tenancies. Indeed, the State is both the landlord and the regulator on housing standards in local authority housing. The Irish State must report to the Council of Europe within 12 months on how it has addressed this violation. The full decision and a summary is available at: https://mycloud.coe.int/index.php/s/gmW0htvgNt9hFhN#pdfviewer -Ends-

Inniu bhronn Seansailéir Ollscoil na hÉireann, an Dr Maurice Manning céim Dhochtúireachta oinigh le Dlíthe (LLD) ar an iarThaoiseach, an tUasal Éanna Ó Coinnigh TD. Agus an chéim bronnta aige ar Éanna Ó Coinnigh, dúirt Seansailéir OÉ, an Dr Maurice Manning: “Tá áthas ar Ollscoil na hÉireann onóir a bhronnadh ar Éanna Ó Coinnigh mar atá déanta againn i gcás na dTaoiseach a chuaigh roimhe. Trí onóir a bhronnadh ar Thaoisigh na tíre, dearbhaíonn OÉ ár stát ceannasach, ár gcóras daonlathach rialtais agus na saoirsí a bhronnann sé ar shaoránaigh na hÉireann.” Agus an tUasal Kenny á chur i láthair ag an Dr Jim Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, bhreathnaigh sé siar ar a ghairm i bpolaitíocht na hÉireann agus tharraing sé aird ar a raibh bainte amach aige. “Le breis is dhá scór bliain, ba bhall de Dháil Éireann é Éanna Ó Coinnigh, áit a ndearna sé ionadaíocht dhúthrachtach ar mhuintir Mhaigh Eo, chomh maith lena chion agus níos mó do pholaitíocht ar leibhéal náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta.  Is iomaí duine a spreag sé lena fhís, lena aidhm shoiléir, a dhiongbháilteacht agus, chomh tábhachtach céanna, a dhaonnacht dhúchasach agus a ghnaíúlacht phearsanta.  Inniu tugaimid ómós dó mar Fhear Ciúin Mhaigh Eo, a d’éirigh chun a thír a stiúradh amach ón dorchadas nuair a tháinig an t-am chuige, chun í a chur ar ais san áit ba dhual di i measc na náisiún, agus chun cúis a thabhairt dúinn ar fad a bheith bródúil arís.” Tá céimeanna oinigh á mbronnadh ó tháinig cairt OÉ i bhfeidhm in 1908. Ó shin i leith tá céimeanna oinigh á mbronnadh ag OÉ chun ardchaighdeán acadúlachta a aithint, bíodh sin sna daonnachtaí nó sna heolaíochtaí.  Lena chois sin, bronnann an Ollscoil onóir orthu siúd ‘a bhfuil a gcion déanta acu don saol poiblí, trína gcumas pearsanta nó ionadaíoch, trína bhfuinnimh, seirbhís agus gníomhaíochtaí ...’. Go traidisiúnta, bronnann OÉ onóir ar oifig Cheann Rialtas na hÉireann trí onóir a bhronnadh orthu siúd a bhí i ról an Taoisigh.   Is é Éanna Ó Coinnigh ‘athair’ na Dála reatha de bhrí gur toghadh den chéad uair é sa bhliain 1975 agus gur atoghadh é san aon olltoghchán déag ina dhiaidh sin. Bhí sé ina Aire Oideachais agus ina Aire Turasóireachta agus Trádála agus ghlac sé ról Cheannaire Fhine Gael sa bhliain 2002.  Bhí sé i gceannas ar an bPáirtí ar feadh cúig bliana déag, an tréimhse ab fhaide i measc cheannairí uile Fhine Gael. Toghadh ina Thaoiseach é i mí an Mhárta 2011 agus arís i mí na Bealtaine 2016, an chéad Cheannaire de chuid Fhine Gael a atoghadh mar Thaoiseach i dtoghcháin i ndiaidh a chéile.  Tá a pháirtí fós ar an bPáirtí is mó sa Dáil. Faoina stiúir d’fhás Fine Gael nó go raibh sé ar an bpáirtí is mó ar leibhéal áitiúil, Dála agus Pharlaimint na hEorpa, toradh nár baineadh amach riamh cheana. Bhí sé ina chomhchathaoirleach ar na Cainteanna Trádála Domhanda i Singeapór in 1996 agus bhí sé ina chathaoirleach ar Chomhairle Airí Trádála an AE le linn Uachtaránacht na hÉireann. Sa bhliain 2011 bhunaigh sé rialtas le Páirtí an Lucht Oibre nuair a bhí Éire i lár an chúlaithe eacnamaíochta is measa riamh. Faoina cheannaireacht, go dtí mí na Bealtaine 2017, bhí Éire ar an tír AE is sciobtha fáis blianta as a chéile; tháinig laghdú ar dhífhostaíocht ó 15.2% go 6.3%; thit rátaí úis ar iasachtaí Éireannacha ó 15% go náid, athshlánaíodh rátáil chreidmheasa na tíre agus fuarthas rochtain iomlán ar na margaí airgeadais arís. Tá breis is dhá mhilliún duine fostaithe anois agus tá go leor daoine a d’fhág an tír le linn an chúlaithe eacnamaíochta ag filleadh abhaile anois. Bhí Éanna Ó Coinnigh ina Leas-Uachtarán ar Pháirtí an Phobail Eorpaigh ar feadh sé bliana agus fuair sé tacaíocht iomlán don éileamh go mbeadh Tuaisceart Éireann aitheanta mar bhall iomlán den AE agus nach mbeadh gá athiarratas a dhéanamh tar éis an Bhreatimeachta, dá mbeadh Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta curtha i bhfeidhm ag vóta na ndaoine. Faoina rialtas rinneadh comóradh uileghabhálach agus cuimsitheach ar Éirí Amach 1916, ó thuaidh agus ó dheas, agus go bunúsach, tugadh an Bhratach Náisiúnta ar ais do mhuintir na hÉireann. Le linn a ré in oifig chonacthas an Troika ag fágáil na hÉireann, gan choinníoll, agus rinneadh ceannasacht agus neamhspleáchas eacnamaíochta na hÉireann a athbhunú. D’éirigh Éanna Ó Coinnigh as a ról mar Thaoiseach i mí an Mheithimh 2017 tar éis sé bliana agus chinntigh sé nach raibh aon fhadhb leis an aistriú cumhachta chuig rialtas nua faoi stiúir Leo Varadkar. Beidh Éanna Ó Coinnigh ina TD go scaoilfear an Dáil roimh an chéad olltoghchán eile. Tá sé pósta le Fionnuala agus tá triúr clainne orthu agus iad fásta suas anois. -Críoch-