Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Minister’s comments to the effect that universities have failed to provide accommodation on campus. This has certainly contributed to the housing crisis. I have first-hand experience of it in Galway where students were left to the market in this regard. I welcome the Minister’s comments on that issue. I also welcome his initiative on apprenticeships and the opening up of the CAO.

I had intended raising something with the Minister but it has resolved itself. I have picked two other topics which I will raise with him. One is in respect of Limerick and it involves a series of questions. The Minister has come back to tell me that universities are independent, which I fully appreciate. He has made an effort in his replies regarding a particular report that was commissioned by the university and that was compiled by an external entity. I asked the Minister if he had been made aware of its content and he said he had not as the universities were independent. He then came back in December with an interesting reply to confirm that the report had been shared with the governing authority of UL and it is expected that a copy of the outcomes and recommendations will also be shared with the HEA. As regards the actions resulting from any review, under the Government’s framework, which is operated by institutions in conjunction with the HEA, institutions are obliged to notify the HEA of any weaknesses in internal control that has been identified. This was in December and we are now in March. Is the Minister aware if this has happened and has the university identified weaknesses and passed them on to the Minister. I will give the Minister time to reply on this.

We know, and the Minister took a particular interest in her case, that Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin had to go outside of the structures. In this case in Limerick, I understand - I do not believe that I am breaching any rule here - that one of the people involved has written to the Committee of Public Accounts. Evidence was given when I was a member of that committee and the person involved has now stated that they were under pressure to say certain things. The individual has set out the position and that is where matters stand. Can the Minister comment on this issue? I recognising that universities are independent. I have spent four years of my life on the Committee of Public Accounts, which was a privilege and which provided me with the equivalent of a university education. What I learned was that anything can be written down but that does not necessarily mean it will be complied with. There is a role for the Department here. I am giving the Minister two minutes to reply and I will have one minute at the end to comment.

My other point relates to precarious employment.

We made some progress in Galway on gender equality as a result of the sterling work done by the women there, starting with Micheline Sheehy Skeffington and followed by other courageous women, but that was only on one particular aspect. I am told the vast majority of staff in precarious employment are women. I have tabled parliamentary questions and the Minister has come back to tell me that universities are independent and that he does not know. How can we ever tackle anything while recognising their independence if the Department is unaware or not made aware or if there are no structures? I, for one, am not happy that the vast majority of academic staff in precarious employment are women. I am not happy that some of them are men either but the majority are women. Perhaps the Minister will take a minute or two to reply.

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