Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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We are following up on the last issue straightaway. Yesterday, the HEA issued a statement on Dr. Richard Thorn's independent review of certain matters and allegations relating to the University of Limerick. We received the letter too late to circulate. In any event it was publicised in the media yesterday and we will just note two or three points. We will come back and discuss it in more detail. From the point of view of the Committee of Public Accounts this issue was raised in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report and we raised it here. The review looked at eight packages and severance packages totally €1.7 million. There are several key points in the report but the report does not deal with what the university had told key stakeholders and that includes us. This report did not deal with the issue of the evidence that came to us and over which there is a question mark. The report recommended that the University of Limerick prepare a comprehensive and accurate account of the circumstances of each of the severance payments to be sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Committee of Public Accounts. The report is coming back to us. That is as much information as I have on it at the moment.