Committee of Public Accounts to examine 2020 Financial Statements with University of Limerick

The meeting at 9.30am in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr Seamus McCarthy, and representatives from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

During the afternoon session, beginning at 1.30pm, the Committee will consider correspondence and other business of the Committee.

PAC Cathaoirleach Deputy Brian Stanley said: “The University of Limerick is a public research institution which caters for 18,000 students for undergraduate and postgraduate studies across a range of disciplines. UL’s annual accounts are certified by the C&AG and thus fall under the remit of the PAC.

“While the C&AG certified the 2021 accounts with an unqualified audit opinion, he highlighted a deferred pension funding asset for one of UL’s pension schemes, and also drew attention to a material level of non-compliant procurement.

“At the Committee’s last engagement with UL in May 2022, the investigation of concerns raised about the purchase in 2019 of a former Dunnes Stores site for UL’s city centre campus was discussed. Members wish to examine what policies and procedures UL has since introduced for the acquisition of buildings and land, and will be seeking an update on the implementation of recommendations arising from the KPMG investigation report commissioned by UL management.

“Members are also interested in discussing a number of other issues, including the provision of a new student centre for which the estimated cost has risen from €18m to €34m, expenditure on external consultancy costs and advisory fees, and deficiencies in UL’s student record management system which have been previously discussed by PAC.

“The Committee looks forward to discussing UL’s 2021 accounts and related matters with Professor Mey and her colleagues.”

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

PAC is a standing committee of Dáil Éireann which focuses on ensuring public services are run efficiently and achieve value for money. Further information on the role and remit of the Committee can be found here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.