David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are a number of questions. Why was that policy change made in the first instance? We were advised by the HEA and the Department that there is an internal review into all of this in Waterford. Why did it take 14 months for Professor Donnelly to correct the record of the Committee of Public Accounts about him being a director? Why is there now an internal review in Waterford IT? The person carrying out the internal review is the financial controller. The financial controller is a subordinate of the president. The financial controller sits on the commercialisation committee. In answer to a parliamentary question, I was informed that the president had to delegate responsibility regarding this internal review because of potential conflicts of interest, which also causes me concern because even as president there are conflicts of interest that now have to be managed. I am alarmed and concerned that people may be wearing multiple hats and are not in a position to do the job they are well paid to do.

I am really interested in this and the committee should also be interested in it. Why is there an internal review in Waterford now? What triggered that internal review? What brought it about? Why is it happening now? I say this to the representatives of the HEA and the Department. An internal review that is carried out by a subordinate of the president, carried out by somebody who is in the chain of command in terms of decision making - or at least the office was, although the person concerned may not have been - where that person would have sat and does sit on the commercialisation committee, is absolutely and completely unacceptable. We need an external review. It has to be external given the dynamics here. I am looking for a commitment from the HEA that we will get that here today because it is necessary.

I could say much more because I have been given a huge amount of information. I said at the start that I have a friendly relationship with Professor Donnelly. I have been given a lot of protected disclosures by people within the institute and I have no doubt we will come back to this issue. I have not even put any of the allegations that were made by people in those protected disclosures to Professor Donnelly. There are many of them and they are of concern to me. I am not satisfied with the internal review.

Let me be clear on the questions I am putting. Why did it take 14 months for Professor Donnelly to correct the record of the Committee of Public Accounts? What was the trigger for this internal review? What brought it about? Who made the decision to carry out the internal review? How can an internal review take place which is actually being carried out by a subordinate of the president's and someone who sat on the commercialisation committee?