Foyle MLA urges Economy Minister to act on Higher Education funding pressures

SDLP Economy Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin MLA has called on the Minister for the Economy to take immediate action to address the growing pressures in the further and higher education sector.

Her comments follow a meeting of the Assembly’s Economy Committee in which officials from the Department for the Economy were unable to provide a clear breakdown of how funding will be allocated to universities under the 2025/26 Executive Budget.

Ms McLaughlin said: “Today’s committee session was not just frustrating, it was deeply worrying. Our universities sounded the alarm two weeks ago about the serious strain they are under, warning that they cannot continue to sustain services under the current funding arrangements. Yet we are still no closer to clarity from the Department on what support will be provided.”

“This lack of transparency is unacceptable. We have already seen universities suggest raising tuition fees as a means of plugging funding gaps - a move that would place even greater pressure on students who are already struggling with the rising cost of living. That alone should have triggered urgent action from the Minister.”

“As a former Finance Minister, the current Economy Minister is fully aware of the long-standing funding challenges in higher education. That makes the lack of meaningful progress even more concerning.”

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“We need an urgent and comprehensive review of how our higher education system is funded -  one that looks at how we invest in our universities and, crucially, how we support students to access and succeed in further and higher education.”

“Our institutions and students are calling for action. The Minister must listen and act now before the situation deteriorates even further.”