Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020
464. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount spent over the past four years by Waterford Institute of Technology or on behalf of the Institute or Department on legal fees, awards and settlements associated with staff grievances and lawsuits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41166/20]
View answer465. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount spent over the past four years by Waterford Institute of Technology or on its behalf on consultants for improving industrial relations and increases in insurance premiums; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41167/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together.
My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding and private funding streams, including any expenditure on the items queried by the Deputy, are a matter for the individual institution.
However, to assist the Deputy my officials requested that the HEA undertake to collate the data from Waterford Institute of Technology and the institute have provided the following information:
- Over the past 4 years the Institute incurred a total of €160,215 (€40,000 p.a.) in legal fees associated with staff grievances and lawsuits. The majority of these costs are related to the Institute defending cases brought by and appealed by the TUI. There was a total of 3 settlements made via the WRC or Labour Court in the period, the total value of these settlements amount to €28,100.
- The Institute has not incurred any consultancy costs associated with improving industrial relations however the Institute has availed of the services of the WRC Advisory Services to assist in resolving grievances and other matters brought by the TUI. There has not been any additional increase in insurance costs related to industrial relations.
