Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 4 October 2012

Public Accounts Committee

Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed)
Higher Education Authority - Annual Financial Statements 2011: Discussion

11:20 am

Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú:

Certainly. As part of the work Dr. Port was undertaking coming to a conclusion, the Taoiseach, we understand, wished to be briefed about the outcome and about where the report was going. The status of Waterford Institute of Technology was a major political issue, particularly in the context of what this report would say. We understand that the meeting was being arranged by Waterford Institute of Technology at a senior level or at governing body level. We do not know the precise date. We know when the meeting took place but from our records we cannot state when it was confirmed. We know that on 26 June it had not been arranged because we have an e-mail on our records from Dr. Port saying that he understood it was to take place soon but that no arrangement had been made. We know that the meeting took place on 29 June and we know that-----