Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Carthy. We might have got this before, but, if not, could we request KPMG's terms of reference for the conduct of that inquiry and the details of who drew them up. The fourth paragraph down piqued my interest, which referred to the total grant amount calculated for UL for 2021-22 as being €2.4 million. Of that, some €757,000 was approved for release in August to support time-sensitive payments relating to additional places and ICT supports for disadvantaged students, with a decision on the balance of those funds pending. I wonder if one aspect relates to the other. It does seem like the institution is on a short leash. For that reason, I would put this matter in with what we have heard about the audit in University College Cork. There is an issue with both these institutions. The concern for us in this regard is when we will have representatives from both institutions in before the committee. We will want to see that report from KPMG in advance of speaking to witnesses from the two universities, but it does seem to be the case that the Department is keeping a close eye on things in this regard.