Results 6,041-6,060 of 10,573 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Is this a widespread practice in the Department? How many supernumeraries do we have today?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: We do not know how widespread the practice is.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: On another issue I raised this morning with the Chairman, which is of huge concern, UL is funded through the HEA and recently there was a huge amount of media reporting about an allegation that staff of the university were offered over €60,000 to keep their concerns under wraps or move along. Is the HEA aware of those allegations?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Are they being investigated?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: When do you expect to have an update on this? Apart from anything else, there is the potential for reputational damage to an institution which is of huge regional importance and that is something I am sure they are as anxious as anybody to clear. This has been left hanging out in the media for the past six weeks or two months. When will we have a full and final result on this? It is of...

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Is it Mr. Boland's belief that there is a role for the Garda in the investigation?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: During the summer another story arose affecting the HEA. You referred in your answers to Deputy Dowds to how university and third level institutions are funded. A very disturbing report came out during the summer when there was, to paraphrase, an attempt to "cook the books" to ensure points were inflated in some of our third level institutions to keep them in the attractive zone for...

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Surely the HEA knew that all along.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: The HEA would have known how many students take on biology and French, for argument's sake, in whatever institute. It would know the number of places because it funds the places. Surely at some stage somebody should have asked how many students were in a place.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Why was there a need for agreement? You are funding these institutions to provide education to third level students but they are inflating points, which is leaving some people out.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Were the institutions leaving places unfilled to keep points at a certain threshold?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Did you investigate it?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: But it is you that funds the universities and funds the courses.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: So if a course is left unfilled there could be a student with their heart set on a course but who will miss out by five points because university X decides it needs to be in the 450-500 points range because its competitors are. It does not want to come below the threshold so it forgoes five or ten places but the HEA is still funding it.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Paid for by the taxpayer.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Apart from the money element, did you not feel at any stage that there was something wrong with the practice of universities and colleges doing that under the noses of the HEA and that it stank a bit?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: How do we know that? Was it investigated?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Is it the HEA's intention to look at it?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: Why not?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Patrick O'Donovan: We do not know that it has ceased and we do not know it was a minority practice if it has not been investigated. Are there any plans to look at this? I think it is an absolute scandal.