Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

While I have great respect for the Minister of State personally, I deplore the fact that the Minister is not present in the Chamber to answer personally on a matter that relates directly to her own constituency. In addition to the cases brought to the attention of Deputy Niall Collins, a number of different individuals have approached me and essentially have told me the same story, whereby people who raised their heads and raised issues about certain payments in particular were literally hounded out. This has happened in several cases that have been brought to my personal attention. It reflects a disturbing pattern of behaviour, and all the investigations that have taken place - that is, the internal university investigations into the circumstances surrounding the situation in which people ultimately were obliged to leave - show a distinct and patent lack of independence. While there are several matters about which I could talk today, one interesting aspect is that in both cases that are in the public domain at present, the university has made an offer to settle on the basis that the two people involved should resign from the university and collect two years' salary by way of payment. That payment of two years' salary involves taxpayers' money, but in both cases the university's so-called and allegedly independent investigator found that the two people had acted maliciously. Why would one pay two years' worth of taxpayers' money to somebody whom one's own investigator, who was meant to be independent, found to have acted maliciously? This matter must be investigated properly and the investigation must be both independent and perceived to be independent.

I also ask the Minister of State what he thinks of the actions of the University of Limerick in resorting to the heavy machinery of the law by employing a high-profile firm of solicitors at what I am sure is great expense to the taxpayer to sue theLimerick Leader, which, like all provincial newspapers, is hardly awash with funds. This proposed High Court action will place a serious strain on an organisation which I am sure is already struggling. In addition, the university's intention to sue the editor personally looks like a deliberate attempt to gag discussion of the matter, put it underground and prevent any discussion in the public domain. The Minister for Education and Skills knows better than anyone else that the Limerick Leaderis the main print medium for both the city and county of Limerick, which she and I represent, and has been so for more than a century. While I do not agree with everything theLimerick Leaderor its editor says, the Minister of State will appreciate that a free press is essential in a properly functioning democracy. I ask the Minister of State to communicate immediately to the Minister for Education and Skills that Members expect her to contact the university and to ask it, as Minister, to call off these legal bloodhounds.

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