Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I very much welcome our guests. I will start with the Comptroller and Auditor General's opening statement, where he stated his view that the agreement between the university and the former president regarding his resignation had the "typical characteristics" of a severance package. UL stated, based on its legal advice, it was satisfied that the recognition of payment did not constitute a severance package. It also referenced Circular 09/2018 and concluded that prior approval from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was unnecessary. I am trying to establish that the circular stated, in the case of a university, the new Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science required prior approval through the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

I will provide the context in respect of the former president's resignation. He was paid more than €180,000 from 1 October 2019 to 31 August 2020. No contract or notice period was established in his terms of employment and he was paid €65,000 in September 2020 for his remaining four months, when an interim president was also appointed. His legal costs, which were in the region of €30,000, were covered by UL, in addition to UL's costs. Legal costs cost in the region of €45,000. My first question is for the Department's representative. Will he please explain whether the Department considered the former president's remuneration as a severance package?