UL president states criticism following PAC appearance is 'completely fair'
THE University of Limerick president has said that part of the criticism received following an appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was "completely fair".
In an email sent to UL staff on Wednesday, Professor Kerstin Mey said that she was “keenly aware of the concerns expressed” by many staff members following the institution’s PAC appearance, particularly about replying “too defensively” to some of the questions about the City Campus.
Some staff members told Limerick Live they were left “appalled by the management” of the issue, as well as by Ms Mey’s “performance in PAC” which was described as "soap-opera" like.
As a result, "many professors" signed a correspondence that will be presented to UL's Governing Authority, as they feel they are being "left in the dark".
On Thursday of last week, Ms Mey appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to discuss UL’s purchase of the Dunnes Stores site on Sarsfield Street, which cost the university €8.3 million in 2019.
During the PAC sitting, she admitted that the governing authority of UL had never seen the KPMG report into the €8.3 million acquisition of the former Dunnes Stores site in 2019.
She was also asked repeatedly if she had used media training to prepare for her appearance.
In her message to the staff, Professor Mey pointed out that she was told she “replied too defensively to the questions about the city campus,” but that even though she was “precluded” from answering some of the questions, she stated media training was “not one of them” and she acknowledged criticism of her in that regard as “completely fair.”
Speaking of the City Campus acquisition, she commented: “As president, I want to be clear and unambiguous in relation to the purchase of the City Campus. As a matter of fact, I provided the committee with particulars of all expenditures incurred since we took possession of the building.”
According to her, it is a fact that legal advice constrained them from discussing many of the shortcomings in the acquisition of the City Campus.
“The constraints continue to cause understandable frustration to the Governing Authority, to the Campus Community and the PAC. That was very evident on the day. It was a difficult and challenging session for the whole team as we tried to navigate our communication under legal constraints, and I have given much thought to how it might have appeared, I want to assure all of you that I am determined to continue to ensure transparency in all our dealings, now and in the future,” she added.
Ms Mey concluded that she has “the utmost respect” for the work done by PAC. She said they had "already been provided with the KPMG Report in unredacted format".
“I will continue to work with the Executive Committee and the Governing Authority to focus on the issues that need to be resolved as quickly as possible," she said.
In another message sent to staff, UL Governing’s Authority confirmed that Provost and Deputy President, Shane Kilcommins remains in his post. That follows an article published in the Irish Examiner which had its original headline as “UL deputy president leaves post following university’s PAC appearance.”
UL also confirmed they will be establishing an Executive Strategic Governance Committee under the leadership of Shane Kilcommins, in a bid to “deal with outstanding issues.”