Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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254. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any public money has been expended directly or indirectly by a university (details supplied); if any financial arrangements for retired staff of the same college are in place; if so, if they are in line with public policy rules on retirement at age 65 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20742/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions, including the university referred to by the Deputy. The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions and the internal disbursement of funding is then a matter for the individual institution. Universities are autonomous bodies as set out in the Universities Act 1997 and are responsible for their own day to day affairs, including the allocation of all of its income (both public and private).

In relation to the Centre referred to by the Deputy, I understand from the HEA, that the university provides funding to the Centre from within its overall budget. In addition, the HEA agreed, under the terms of the Employment Control Framework (ECF), to the re-employment at the Centre of a retired staff member. Section 3(b) of the ECF allows for the re-employment of retired staff in limited exceptional circumstances. In such cases the salaries offered may not exceed 20% of the full-time salary of the post of the individual at the time of their retirement, adjusted to reflect the application of Government pay policy in the period since their date of retirement – including in particular the application of salary adjustments imposed under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009.