Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Chair stated, the Deputy has picked a fine example. That is exactly what is being inquired into by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Higher Education Authority through their statutory process and, I understand from media reports, An Garda Síochána, so there are lots of moving parts in that regard. It is incumbent on any higher education institution to ensure value for money. Therein is the other point that we have to reiterate in this House on many occasions, that is, that our higher education institutions guard their autonomy and governance and hold it very precious. It is sacred to them. The Deputy will recall that when we updated or modernised our legislation on the functioning of the HEA, there was a lot of friction with the higher education institutions, which did not like the State looking at them in a Big Brother role. That is, however, part of our job. If the State provides the money, the State is entitled to have a degree of oversight, and rightly so.

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