Results 6,341-6,360 of 10,867 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

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.

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I think there should be plans and I think there is an onus on the Department of Education and Skills to check.

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

Patrick O'Donovan: Do you accept that by inflating points to a certain level it makes universities more attractive? If a person is out there flogging a university to get money into a trust fund, which can be kept at arm's length from the university, is it not in the university's best interest not to have points at a depressed level, even if it actually fits the course? Is it not in the college's or the...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I am surprised that the Department of Education and Skills and the HEA take the attitude that we will just move on from here. I think the practice of colleges knowingly making sure that somebody who may be very capable of doing an assigned course is left out-----

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

Patrick O'Donovan: -----because the college wants to inflate them.

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

Patrick O'Donovan: That is not their role.

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

Patrick O'Donovan: Their role is as an educator.