Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Right. We are not getting into the essence of the details of the correspondence No. 2299C. Yesterday I received two other anonymous letters in the same vein, which I have given to the secretariat. All three of them were essentially on the same issue with regard to National University of Ireland Maynooth solely as result of us raising the matter here last week.

Related correspondence No. 2315C is another anonymous document on this and No. 2299 also poses some questions on the matter. Essentially the individuals say that the matter was well known for a number of years and ask why it was not highlighted before now. The correspondents ask why the governing body of the university did not know about it, why the Comptroller and Auditor General did not know about it and why was it not made known long before now. No. 2315C also alleges an issue of some 800 part-time staff being employed on zero-hour contracts and with no proper employment rights. These are three letters following on from the €750,000 provision query. I propose that we ask the secretariat to write to the college summarising the points of the three letters and to ask for the college to deal with these before it replies - we had written to the college asking for an explanation around the €750,000. The committee has now received additional information in the recent days. We must write a second letter summarising the points made and asking the college to deal with the issues raised in this correspondence as a result of us highlighting the matter last week. Is it agreed to allow the secretariat to proceed? Agreed. We will circulate a copy of the letter that issues to the university to the members if they wish. They will be up to speed on the matter if it arises.