The Irish Government’s spending watchdog (the Comptroller and Auditor General) has reported on the staff overspending in Irish Universities, and some of the findings are reported in University staff paid €8.1m in excess of approved rates – Comptroller & Auditor General.
The breakdown is as follows:
- UCD – 3,600,000€
- UCC – 1,640,000€
- TCD – 1,500,000€
- UCG – 578,000€
- UL – 448,000
- NUI Maynooth – 272,000€
- DCU – 53,000€
However, it is not all good news regarding DCU – it bailed out two of its subsidiary companies. I do not understand why these companies were created as commercial ventures in the first place.
WIT (not a university) also receives criticism:
It cites breaches of spending policy on subsistence and hospitality – including €18,452 spent on flowers and €3,067 on gifts.
Unfortunately, I am not surprised by this :o It is not the first time that WIT has been found misappropriating funds (see How WIT Spends the Taxpayers’ Money). WIT seems to have the worst reputation in Ireland based upon the people whom I have met!
I would like to think that the institutions involved have repaid the money, and that the relevant people have been demoted or fired.
