Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ms Harney is chancellor of the university and chairperson of the governing body. She stated that nobody expressed concerns in respect of the valuation of the site. I am puzzled about this. A verbal assurance was given but no documentation was presented, yet no one asked was there a second valuation or evidence of a second or third valuation. I have sat on boards that handle far smaller amounts of money than this - I chaired one of them - and I can assure Ms Harney that for deals that involve a tiny fraction of this amount, one would seek not one or two but three valuations. One would not rely on a person's word. Much of this seemed to rely on the good faith of former senior staff.

Ms Harney mentioned and Professor Mey confirmed that a deposit was paid on a house in Dublin that did not fit in with the strategic plan. Certain individuals sailed off to Dublin and put a deposit - I do not know how much it was - on a house the purpose of which was questionable. Obviously, it was decided that the house was not needed and that decision was probably correct. Fair play for stopping it. The same individuals, however, sailed in to the university and stated that there was a site that was worth nearly three times what Limerick City Council valued it at but no one questioned that or asked for a written copy of even one valuation. That is beyond belief.