Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On the back of this piece of correspondence, and in anticipation of our discussion on our programme of work, I would like to make the following point. The terms of reference for this new investigation into the University of Limerick, UL, have been set out. I think that we, as a committee, should have the Department come before us to put it through its paces with regard to the investigation's terms of reference. We should also ask Dr. Thorn to come in to speak to us about this process. The reason I say that is that we have had a pattern not just with third level institutions, but other organisations, where we deal with things after the fact.

We have established that the information given to the committee from UL sources was incomplete and problematic. I would not be happy for us to proceed with our work in this sector and for there to be a parallel process under way under Dr. Thorn that we have had no interaction with, no sense of it and no testing of it. We would perhaps store up trouble for when we discover afterwards that there was an omission, flaw or something that might have been of concern. I suggest that we ask the Department and that we invite Dr. Thorn to come in to speak to us and to explain the process that he is undertaking, the kind of timelines that are envisaged - because that is not clear - and how all of it will work out.