The ex-president of the University of Limerick, Kerstin Mey, is receiving a salary of €175,000 during her annual sabbatical, despite stepping into a professorship role that lacks both a department and a formal course. The Public Accounts Committee was informed on Thursday that Ms Mey vacated her post as university president last June to begin her sabbatical, commencing her new role as a professor of visual culture.
The UL chancellor, Brigid Laffan, clarified to the committee that the university is currently without a Department of Culture, and similarly, no recognised course in visual culture exists. Ms Laffan noted that following legal advice and mediation, Professor Mey’s role was defined and it was assured that she would have plenty to undertake.
Ms Laffan stated that for academics who previously held senior positions at the university, it’s a common practice to embark on a sabbatical with the aim of initiating a research career – a process currently underway for Ms Mey. When queried about the remaining term on Professor Mey’s current contract, Ms Laffan stated that as of the first of September this year, five years remain which doesn’t take her to her anticipated retirement age.
The committee hearing also discussed two property transactions initiated by the UL. These included the purchase of 20 properties to serve as student accommodation in Limerick City’s Rhebogue district costing €11 million in August 2022, and the procurement of the old Dunnes Stores site in the same city, at a cost of €8.3 million in 2019.
According to the University President, Professor Shane Kilcommins, UL substantially overspent on both properties, leading to a combined loss of €8.27 million. Ms Laffan added that she has taken up the matter with An Garda Síochána and is due to meet them in the coming week.
The committee also heard that Andrew Flaherty, the university’s chief commercial officer who is believed to have played a significant role in the acquisition of the student housing in Rhebogue, has been given a leave of absence with full salary as the university conducts an internal probe into the transaction. Ms Laffan pointed out that these transactions didn’t “happen in isolation”, questioning why, despite a shift in leadership, many past failings were repeated.
The Comptroller and Auditor General, Séamus McCarthy, voiced a fundamental worry – over five years later, the university still lacks a distinct strategy and budget for the old Dunnes Stores location at Honan’s Quay. Brian Stanley (SF), the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, commented that a professor is currently earning €175,000 for a nonexistent role. He mentioned a property in central Limerick bought for €5 million above its assessed value which remains unused with no clear plan or budget for its development. Adding to its woes, he said, it stands there, like a white elephant.
Stanley also drew attention to Rhebogue, located 3km from the university, where 20 homes were acquired for more than twice their market worth. He lamented that the list goes on.