The former Employment and Learning Minister, Lord Empey, has expressed concern and anger at the loss of student places announced by Queen's University, in their response to the reduction in funding due to the budget crisis at Stormont.

 The Ulster Unionist Peer said:

 “One of the most significant achievements of Stormont, and the Department of Employment and Learning in particular, has been the rise in student participation in Higher Education to the 50% level and within that, to see 41% of those students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are the highest figures in the UK and something we should be rightly proud of. These students are the seed corn of our future skills bank, and can be the means of attracting and creating investment by the private sector.

 “How sad it is that we are now going to see two things as a result of these reductions in student places. Firstly, reducing the number of skilled people in our future workforce, and secondly the reductions will hit those from disadvantaged backgrounds the hardest. The entry level qualifications will have to rise in response to the cuts, making it harder to get a university place.

 “For the first time in recent years Northern Ireland is positively disinvesting in Higher Education - in stark contrast to the growing levels in England and Scotland. Why has this come about? Could it have been avoided?'

 “We all know that public spending levels have reduced all across the UK in response to the growing level of national debt, the financial crisis and continuing deficit. But despite the reductions, Northern Ireland got off lightly in comparison to some mainstream Whitehall Departments where cuts of up to 25% have occurred.

 “The Northern Ireland Executive was advised of its budget allocation for 2011-2015 by the Treasury in October 2010. It was further advised of its budget allocation for the current financial year, 2015/16 in June 2013. But what happened? I accept that the Welfare crisis has added to the problems, but leaving that aside, the shortfall between spending and available resources was clear long before the welfare issue resulted in Treasury fines against Stormont.'

 “For the first time since 1921 Stormont was about to default and was rescued at the last minute by what became known as the 'dodgy Wonga loan' of £100m from London.

 “Crisis in year Departmental reductions were demanded last summer/autumn, and a new budget was supposed to have been ironed out at Stormont House before Christmas. All this has now crumbled, and Departments face further in year cuts this year.'

 “'All of this is down to gross financial mismanagement and is the direct responsibility of the First and deputy First Ministers and the Minister for Finance and Personnel, who are presiding over the squandering of one of Stormont's greatest achievements.

 “These Ministers have failed to take any meaningful action since 2011 in preparing the public sector for the inevitable consequences of a reducing subvention from London.  Instead of a gradual and planned year by year reduction in personnel, they avoided taking any action until the last minute, with the awful consequences we see before us now.

 “Those with experience of government know how inefficient and damaging it is to try and reduce expenditure in the middle of a financial year, and I believe more of this is to come. To add insult to injury, the people of Northern Ireland are having to borrow the money to pay off the public sector workers and civil servants whose jobs are going! If things had been properly planned this situation could have been avoided. It is an absolute disgrace.”