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Sandra Quinn, 9 May
UNIVERSITY of Limerick are appearing before the Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) again this morning.
More than €12.5 million was spent on twenty student houses in Rhebogue,
working out at a cost of €629,000 per house.
This morning's hearing was due to start at 9.30am, but was in a private
session and did not begin until almost 10.20am.
Deputy President and acting chief officer, Shane Kilcommons, told the
PAC that in relation to the purchase of housing in Rhebogue, there were
“shortcomings in information.”
He also told the committee in his opening statement that “valuations
were inappropriate” and that there were planning permission issues.
“Not everyone thought Rhebogue was a good idea, and they conveyed their
concerns and objections to the project sponsors,” he said, however, the
project was still presented to the Governing Authority for approval.
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He expressed his disappointment that the overpayment scandals in
relation to the purchase in Rhebogue and the old Dunnes building, has
put a media spotlight on UL for all of the wrong reasons.
Mr Kilcommons acknowledged that the steps taken since the purchase of
the old Dunnes building have “not addressed some core governance issues
at UL.”
He described UL as a “very fine institution. It is a young, energetic,
and enterprising university, with a proud record of innovation in
education and scholarship.”
Mr Kilcommons said that as well as reform, there must be
accountability, so that something like this does not happen again.