How much do chaplaincy services cost each third-level institution?

Higher Education Authority report shows how much each college pays to provide service

UCC’s chaplaincy costs  €125,000 a year. Image: Google Streetview
UCC’s chaplaincy costs €125,000 a year. Image: Google Streetview

All third-level colleges will be required to ensure State-funded chaplains are hired in line with public sector recruitment rules within the next 12 months.

This follows a review to be published shortly by the Higher Education Authority which raises concerns about the arrangements in place in many colleges to hire chaplains.

The report details how much individual colleges are spending on services, where these funds are being sourced from, and how individuals were appointed.

UNIVERSITIES

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UCD

Number of chaplains employed: Two

Costs: €129,972

Source of funding: Recurrent State grant (plus €25,000 from Methodist Church

UCC

Number of chaplains employed: Two Catholic lay chaplains, one Church of Ireland chaplain (to be appointed); one Presbyterian chaplain; one administrator; one chaplaincy co-ordinator

Costs: €125,000 (including €25,000 on non-pay items)

Source of funding: N/A

NUI Galway

Number of chaplains employed: Two

Costs: €128,000 (€94,000 on pay)

Source of funding: Core funds

Maynooth University

Number of chaplains employed: Two

Costs: €120,245

Source of funding: University funds

Trinity College Dublin

Number of chaplains employed: None is employed (Two Catholic, one Church of Ireland and one part-time Methodist are paid for by their churches)

Costs:: Chaplains paid for by their churches

Source of funding: N/A

University of Limerick

Number of chaplains employed: Two (one manager of chaplaincy services; one manager of Teach Fáilte drop-in service)

Costs: €140,000

Source of funding: Core budget

Dublin City University

Number of chaplains employed: Two (one Catholic and one Church of Ireland)

Costs: €100,000

Source of funding: Non-exchequer university resources

COLLEGES

St Patrick’s, Drumcondra

Number of chaplains employed: None

Costs: €62,818

Source of funding: Core grants

Mater Dei, Dublin

Number of chaplains employed: One

Costs: €60,000

Source of funding: Core funding

Mary Immaculate, Limerick

Number of chaplains employed: One

Costs: €57,336 (of which chaplain’s salary is €36,313)

Source of funding: Student contribution and fee income

St Angela’s College, Sligo

Number of chaplains employed: One

Costs: €6,181 (excluding cost of maintaining chaplain’s residence)

Source of funding: Chaplain is also a lecturer; services are provided outside his lecturing remit

National College of Art and Design

Number of chaplains employed: None

Costs: N/A

Source of funding: N/A

INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY

Athlone Institute of Technology

Number of chaplains employed: One Costs: €25,000 Source of funding: Recurrent funding for student support services

Institute of Technology Blanchardstown

Number of chaplains employed: None Costs: N/A Source of funding: N/A

Institute of Technology Carlow

Number of chaplains employed: One

Costs: €40,000

Source of funding: Recurrent grants

Cork Institute of Technology

Number of chaplains employed: One chaplain, one co-ordinator of pastoral care, four full-time members for 31 weeks, one part-time chaplain

Costs: €164,000

Source of funding: Publicly funded

Dublin Institute of Technology

Number of chaplains employed: 4.5 (full-time equivalents), plus an administrator

Costs: €245,720

Source of funding: Student charges

Dundalk Institute of Technology

Number of chaplains employed: One full-time, one part-time

Costs: €33,000

Source of funding: Institute’s budget

Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT)

Number of chaplains employed: None

Costs: N/A

Source of funding:

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

Number of chaplains employed: Two

Costs: €49,410

Source of funding: Recurrent grants

Letterkenny Institute of Technology

Number of chaplains employed: Three

Costs:: €68,000 (€50,000 to Catholic Church, €9,000 to Church of Ireland and €9,000 to Presbyterian Church)

Source of funding: Institute’s funds

Limerick Institute of Technology

Number of chaplains employed: One full-time, one part-time

Costs: €60,000

Source of funding: Student contributions

Institute of Technology Sligo

Number of chaplains employed: One full-time

Costs: €55,000

Source of funding: College’s funds

Institute of Technology, Tallaght

Number of chaplains employed: Two (one contract for services and one engaged from Church of Ireland on a casual retainer basis)

Costs: €60,000

Source of funding: student contributions

Institute of Technology, Tralee

Number of chaplains employed: One

Costs: €40,000

Source of funding: Student capitation fund

Waterford Institute of Technology

Number of chaplains employed: One

Costs: Lecturer scale 1

Source of funding: Institute’s funds

Carl O'Brien

Carl O'Brien

Carl O'Brien is Education Editor of The Irish Times. He was previously chief reporter and social affairs correspondent