Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

I draw attention to the fact that deficits are an issue in a couple of other colleges and deficits have been incurred in Limerick Institute of Technology in each of the past two years. The governing body has considered that it is still appropriate to prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis. Following the amalgamation of Tipperary rural business development institute into Limerick Institute of Technology there are still a number of staff members who are supernumerary and the cumulative salary cost for those staff to date has been €627,000, of which €216,000 was incurred in the year ended 31 August 2014.