Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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We are now back in public session. In the context of our examination of financial statements in the education sector, this meeting is a follow-up meeting relating to certain matters. The meeting will be divided into two sessions. Session A will deal with matters relating to the University of Limerick, UL, and University College Cork, UCC. Session B will deal with matters relating to the Dublin Institute of Technology, DIT, and the financial statement of Cork Institute of Technology, CIT and certain matters relating to its 2014 and subsequent accounts. Representatives of the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and the Department of Education and Skills will be with us for both sessions. We are joined by Dr. Graham Love and Mr. Andrew Brownlee from the HEA and by Dr. Tony Gaynor and Ms Deirdre McDonald, principal officers, from the Department. The main witness for this session from UL is the president, Professor Desmond Fitzgerald. We are also joined by Dr. Richard Thorn who has been appointed to conduct an independent review of certain matters at the university. In fairness to Dr. Thorn, we do not want to cut across his independent work or in any way influence it. He is here as a courtesy to this committee and we thank him for being present. The committee will be making some remarks for Dr. Thorn to take on board but he is not answerable to the committee in respect of the work he is about to carry out in the time ahead. We are also joined by Professor Patrick O'Shea, president of UCC, Mr. Diarmuid Collins, bursar and chief financial officer, Mr. Cormac McSweeney, finance officer and Mr. Michael Farrell, corporate secretary.

I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery that all mobile phones must be switched off. It is not enough to switch them to airplane mode because they still interfere with the communications and recording system. I wish to advise that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. The witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

Members of the committee are reminded of the provisions of Standing Order 186 that the committee shall refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits or objectives of such policies. They are also reminded of the long-standing ruling of the Chair to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

We will begin with a brief opening statement from Professor O'Shea of UCC.