Joint Press Statement – English
AMLÉ, IFUT, IRSA and the Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation (PWO)
Thursday, 12 February 2026
Representatives of Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ), the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), the Irish Research Staff Association (IRSA), and the Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation (PWO) today appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to present aligned evidence on the urgent need for reform of research careers and funding in Ireland.
Together, the four organisations highlighted that Ireland’s current approach to doctoral and postdoctoral research work is undermining both researchers’ quality of life and the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the national research system.
A central message across the submissions is that doctoral researchers are performing highly skilled, full-time research work yet are still largely treated as “students” rather than workers. This classification leaves them without access to minimum wage protections, sick leave, maternity and paternity leave, social insurance, pensions, and independent mechanisms to resolve workplace disputes. The groups warned that stipends remain below both minimum wage and living wage levels and continue to fall in real terms.
The organisations also drew attention to the deepening precarity facing postdoctoral and other research staff, characterised by repeated short-term contracts, limited career progression, and a lack of transparent and equitable employment practices. This insecurity is producing excessive workloads, rising burnout, and a growing loss of experienced researchers from the system.
Housing costs, immigration restrictions on non-EU researchers, and the absence of meaningful national social dialogue in higher education were identified as compounding these problems and acting as significant barriers to attracting and retaining talent.
AMLÉ, IFUT, IRSA and PWO jointly call on Government and the Oireachtas Committee to:
Recognise doctoral researchers as workers and move toward an employment-based model with full employment rights.
Substantially increase PhD funding and link it to living costs and realistic working time.
Introduce measures to reduce precarity and enable genuine career progression for postdoctoral and research staff.
Increase core public funding for higher education and research capacity.
Establish a national framework for meaningful sectoral engagement with staff and their representatives.
The four organisations emphasised that decisive action is essential if Ireland is to realise its ambition of being a world-leading location for research and innovation. They stated their commitment to continued, constructive engagement with policymakers to build a fair, sustainable, and internationally competitive research careers framework.
Preasráiteas Comhpháirteach – Gaeilge
AMLÉ, CÉMO, IRSA agus an PWO
Déardaoin, 12 Feabhra 2026
Inniu, tháinig ionadaithe ó Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ), Cónaidhm Éireannach na Múinteoirí Ollscoile (CÉMO), an Irish Research Staff Association (IRSA) agus an Postgraduate Workers Organisation (PWO) os comhair Choiste an Oireachtais um Bhreisoideachas agus Ardoideachas, Taighde, Nuálaíocht agus Eolaíocht chun fianaise ailínithe a chur i láthair maidir leis an ngá práinneach atá le hathchóiriú a dhéanamh ar ghairmeacha beatha taighde agus ar mhaoiniú in Éirinn.
Le chéile, leag na ceithre eagraíocht béim ar an bhfíric go bhfuil cur chuige reatha na hÉireann i leith obair thaighde dochtúireachta agus iardhochtúireachta ag cur isteach ar cháilíocht beatha na dtaighdeoirí agus ar inbhuanaitheacht agus iomaíochas fadtéarmach an chórais taighde náisiúnta araon.
Is í an phríomhtheachtaireacht trasna na n-aighneachtaí ná go bhfuil taighdeoirí dochtúireachta ag déanamh obair thaighde lánaimseartha ard-oilte ach go gcaitear leo den chuid is mó mar “mhic léinn” seachas mar oibrithe. Fágann an t-aicmiú seo gan rochtain acu ar chosaintí íosphá, saoire bhreoiteachta, saoire mháithreachais agus atharthachta, árachas sóisialta, pinsin, agus sásraí neamhspleácha chun díospóidí san ionad oibre a réiteach. Thug na grúpaí rabhadh go bhfuil stipinní fós faoi bhun leibhéil an íosphá agus an íosphá mhaireachtála agus go leanann siad ag titim i dtéarmaí réadacha.
Tharraing na heagraíochtaí aird freisin ar an neamhchinnteacht atá ag dul i méid atá roimh bhaill foirne iardhochtúireachta agus taighde eile, arb iad is sainairíonna conarthaí gearrthéarmacha arís agus arís eile, dul chun cinn teoranta gairme, agus easpa cleachtas fostaíochta trédhearcach agus cothromasach. Tá ualaí oibre iomarcacha, ídiú oibre ag méadú, agus cailliúint mhéadaitheach taighdeoirí a bhfuil taithí acu ón gcóras mar thoradh ar an neamhchinnteacht seo.
Aithníodh costais tithíochta, srianta inimirce ar thaighdeoirí neamh-AE, agus easpa idirphlé sóisialta náisiúnta bríoch san ardoideachas mar bhacainní suntasacha maidir le tallann a mhealladh agus a choinneáil.
Iarrann AMLÉ, CÉMO, IRSA agus PWO le chéile ar an Rialtas agus ar Choiste an Oireachtais:
· Aithint a thabhairt do thaighdeoirí dochtúireachta mar oibrithe agus bogadh i dtreo samhail atá bunaithe ar fhostaíocht le cearta fostaíochta iomlána.
· Maoiniú PhD a mhéadú go suntasach agus é a nascadh le costais mhaireachtála agus am oibre réalaíoch.
· Bearta a thabhairt isteach chun neamhchinnteacht a laghdú agus dul chun cinn fíor gairme a chumasú do bhaill foirne iardhochtúireachta agus taighde.
· Maoiniú poiblí lárnach a mhéadú don ardoideachas agus don acmhainn taighde.
· Creat náisiúnta a bhunú le haghaidh rannpháirtíocht bhríoch earnála le baill foirne agus a n-ionadaithe.
Leag na ceithre eagraíocht béim ar an ngá atá le gníomh cinntitheach más mian le hÉirinn a huaillmhian a bhaint amach, is é sin bheith ina suíomh ceannródaíoch domhanda don taighde agus don nuálaíocht. Dúirt siad a dtiomantas do rannpháirtíocht leanúnach, thógálach le lucht déanta beartas chun creat gairmeacha taighde cothrom, inbhuanaithe agus iomaíoch go hidirnáisiúnta a thógáil.