Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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296. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 457 of 20 June 2017, his plans to establish an independent inquiry into matters that were brought to light by a certain programme; his views on whether many questions remain unanswered surrounding the purchase of a specific institute by a specific college; if his attention was drawn to the unfunded pension obligation to the former CEO of the specific institute; the reason this was not reported as a pension liability; the knowledge his Department had of the self funding loan raised by the specific college for the purchase of the specific institute; and the way that loan might be repaid. [34280/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The position with regard to specific issues raised in the recent programme referred to by the Deputy is that my Department and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) have established an independent review of the governance, HR and financial practices with the University of Limerick which was one of the Universities referred to in the programme.

In addition the HEA has commenced the process for undertaking a review of Intellectual Property Policy implementation across the sector. Into the future, my Department and the HEA will continue to undertake such rolling reviews, in co-operation with the institutions, in order to further embed the system of good governance and accountability in the sector.

The position regarding the purchase of a specific institute by a specific college is that as autonomous institutions Universities are responsible for the management of their affairs, including the servicing of any of its loans. My Department had no role in relation to the purchase referred to. However, as advised previously, assurances were provided by the University to the HEA that the purchase has not resulted in any implications for current or future State pension liabilities.  The HEA advised my Department that it was satisfied with the level of assurance provided.