Allen, Bernard

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Committee of Public Accounts Debate

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Special Report No. 75 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Irish Universities Resource Management and Performance

We are looking at the 2008 annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Special Report No.75, entitled Irish Universities Resource Management and Performance. I would like to inform witnesses...More Button

I welcome Mr. Tom Boland, chief executive of the HEA and I call on him to introduce his colleagues.More Button

Mr. Kevin McCarthy, assistant secretary of the Department of Education and Skills is here. Have you some colleagues with you?More Button

You are all welcome. I call on Mr. Ned Costello, chief executive of the Irish Universities Association, to make an opening statement.More Button

I thank Mr. Costello. There are no time constraints if he wishes to comment on it.More Button

I call on Mr. Boland to make his opening statement.More Button

Can we publish both statements?More Button

Which one?More Button

Let us be more specific please. If it is 0.3% of the total payroll, what is the total payroll?More Button

To what university does Mr. McCarthy refer?More Button

No, I would not be happy with that.More Button

Professor Barry has privilege here.More Button

Does Mr. McCarthy wish to respond? Is that in line with normal practice?More Button

The Deputy may come in later.More Button

Did the HEA not receive an annual report from each of the universities? Would the reports not have contained such details?More Button

Was the assumption incorrect?More Button

Before the Department of Finance officials respond I ask Mr. Boland to respond.More Button

I am at a loss too because Mr. Costello is being very vague. How many contact hours——More Button

Dr. Murphy has indicated——More Button

I would like to ask a question of each of the universities. What pension deficient did they hand over to the State since 2005? What was the cost of the top ups on pensions and the cost of the allowa...More Button

Does Professor Hegarty not know?More Button

Was there a pension deficit or a surplus?More Button

What was the position when it was handed over to the State?More Button

But surely——More Button

Dr. Browne stated that the handover was not done by choice. However, it has relieved the universities of a total of €790 million.More Button

In light of the fact that the universities are not in a position to supply the figures, is either the Department of Finance or the Department of Education and Skills in a position to provide an absolu...More Button

Just for the record, I wish to clarify those figures.More Button

So this takeover is similar to a bank guarantee scheme.More Button

Will the last two contributors make their comments, including on the allegation this year that grades were being awarded to students that were higher than those they earned? Would the witnesses like ...More Button

Arising from some of the questions posed by Deputy O’Brien on the pension fund and the pension deficit, this week in my area of Cork, a major company, the Examiner group, announced a pension deficit a...More Button

There is an interest in the back.More Button

I think we will come to——More Button

The higher education strategy review group was set up in 2009. What is the position in that regard?More Button

We have had an in-depth session. I was nervous about this session because of the number of witnesses due to come before us; I was afraid it would become unwieldy. However, we have been given answers...More Button

My apologies — Mr. Buckley would like to say something.More Button

Is it agreed to dispose of special report No. 75? Agreed. On next week’s agenda is our consideration of the 2008 annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, special report No. 71 which dea...More Button

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