Madam, – Dr John Walsh and Dr Sarah Harney (March 31st) make a number of incorrect statements concerning the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Employment Control Framework. The framework clearly allows for contract research and related dedicated research project posts (eg technical/administrative posts) funded from external income (grants from other public funding agencies, EU or non-Exchequer sources of funding) to be filled across all areas of research activity. It actually provides for an increase of 10 per cent in the number of such staff employed.
The HEA does not determine what research should take place and no approval is required by the university in engaging in such research.
The only role of the HEA in this area is where any such externally- funded research could give rise to a future cost to the exchequer. If an entitlement to future pension benefits arises and this represents a deferred cost or liability for the exchequer, any such new posts created will be subject to an employer’s pension contribution charge of 20 per cent of gross pay. This represents the estimated contribution required from the employer/project funder, in addition to the employee’s own personal pension contribution, to cover the deferred cost to the exchequer of future pension entitlements. The objective is to ensure that pension funding will now be in place for research and specialist staff, as well as core staff. We believe that this represents fair treatment for researchers in ensuring they have a pension while at the same time, protecting the public purse from any long-term liability.
While anticipating criticism of the Employment Control Framework, it is hoped that discussion on the issue will be evidence-based and not subject to inflated claims. Information on the Framework is published on our website, www.hea.ie. – Yours, etc,