Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I take the Deputy's point. Although this project did not involve Government funding and was instead funded by a student levy and the EIB, the university as a body is funded by the State. It is clear that the Minister is not shying away or distancing himself from this and saying that it has nothing to do with him. He has met the students and the governing bodies.

On the three points made very clearly by the Deputy, the first related to whether the governing body will reiterate its commitment to make sure that any money collected is spent on students. The university has already advised the Department that moneys from the fund will not be lost and that the student levy will remain ring-fenced for student facilities. The second question was whether there will be a freeze on the student levy. In other words, that the university will stop collecting it. The final question was about transparency with regard to how much money has been collected and what it has been spent on. They are very reasonable and absolutely fair questions. I will convey them to the Minister. When he and the Department communicate with the governing body, we will make it very clear that we are looking for transparency and that any publicly funded institution be transparent about its expenditure.

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