IFUT Pre-Budget Submission 2026 outlines urgent, evidence-based measures to restore capacity, fairness and quality in Irish higher education. Chronic underfunding, the highest student–staff ratios in the EU, and widespread academic precarity now threaten Ireland’s knowledge economy and social progress. IFUT calls for a €307m core funding uplift, 650 new academic posts annually, an end to insecure contracts, PhD and career pathway reform, and the creation of a national sectoral forum. This submission sets out a clear roadmap to align investment with Ireland’s commitments to quality education (SDG 4) and decent work (SDG 8).