Results 8,661-8,680 of 21,440 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Except their politics is an old boys' club and not an old girls' club, just to state that factually. The Deputy might look around himself.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: I presume that we can go to a second round of questions. To declare my interest, I wish to state that I did postgraduate studies at the University of Limerick and, as such, I am certainly not going to question the excellence of its academic endeavours.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: I thank the Professor so much. Flattery will get him nowhere, as he will discover.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: We are here to discuss the financial arrangements of the university and, as Professor Barry outlined in his opening statement, there are several elements to that. At this stage, I want to talk to Professor Barry about UL's expenses system. Professor Barry accepts that UL has to play by the rules.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: He made reference to the funding constraints of the past decade and said, quite correctly, that the highest standards of governance must obtain with regard to the use of public moneys. I put it to him that this has not been the practice in the University of Limerick, specifically having regard to expenses and their administration on Professor Barry's watch.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: I have read the briefing paper with interest and thank Professor Barry for it. How long has he been in position as President?

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: President Barry has beenin situsince 2007 but has been with the university since 2004. Is that not the case?

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Professor Barry has a long history and has been around the block, to put it in the nicest possible way.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am aware that there was a change in systems in 2010 but I am also aware, as the briefing document also states, that three specific individuals referred to as A, B and C came forward with astonishing complaints in respect of what they described as something of a VIP system in terms of how expense claims were awarded. I put it to the professor directly that these allegations were extremely...

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can I say that Professor Barry is using very muted language to describe what happened? As I understand it, and please correct me if I am wrong, hard as they tried person A found it almost impossible to get management to take responsibility or to sign off on what person A regarded as fraudulent expense claims. The detail of it is really quite astonishing; an allegation that mileage expenses...

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am, in part. I want Professor Barry's view on that but initially - with regard to the sample of the complaints raised by person A - the witness is not disputing the fact that person A brought these complaints forward.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Okay, that is part one. Part two is that person A reported she was being blanked and perhaps even being left to hang out to dry by supervisory management in respect of these expense claims.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Perhaps Professor Barry will explain to me why person A no longer works for the University of Limerick.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Was person A's sick leave, and matters as they subsequently unfolded, connected with person A coming forward and making the complaint and all of that?

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not, so maybe I will make it straightforward for Professor Barry. He actually referred to person A in his own briefing document so he was quite at liberty to discuss this case and it is important that he does. It is my understanding that person A stumbled across the abuse of the expenses system repeatedly. Professor Barry referred to seven instances that were subsequently examined in...

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Perhaps Professor Barry would share with me the elements of his understanding please.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Will the witness tell the committee about person A's complaints? I believe this is a diversionary tactic. I am not asking Professor Barry to describe the nature of person A's sickness, if that is what concerns the witness. I want him to tell the committee about person A and the turn of events when person A discovered the claims and, holy hour, queried what was going on. People went to...

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: Really? Professor Barry's own submission, and the Mazar's report and the position of the Higher Education Authority - if I understand them correctly - actually contradicts that.

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: By the very fact that the university introduced the changes. The university had to settle with Revenue did it not, as a result-----

Public Accounts Committee: University of Limerick: Financial Statements 2014-2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----and as a consequence? Will the witness tell the committee about the settlement with Revenue?