Greater powers to investigate Irish colleges could lead to a “serious erosion” of autonomy, the President of the University of Limerick (UL) has warned his staff. The comments are the latest sign of unease in the sector about government overreach in a sector fiercely protective of its independence.
The warning came in an email to staff from Dr Des Fitzgerald, the President of UL, which was seen by the Limerick Leader. The college has been at the centre of a Higher Education Authority (HEA) investigation into allegations of bullying and misconduct among its staff and departments.
The University of Limerick is but one of the Irish colleges facing renewed scrutiny of its internal affairs, after an Oireachtas report, published in July, made serious criticisms of financial practices in many Irish colleges. In July, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, announced a proposal to introduce investigators to address “issues of concern” in Irish universities.
In the email, Fitzgerald wrote: “This is a serious erosion of the autonomy of the university, often stated to be a pillar of the Government’s policy on higher education, and a central tenet of the Universities Act.”
The HEA-led review of UL, which is being led by former President of Sligo Institute of Technology Dr Richard Thorn, is due to culminate in a report in the autumn.
Bruton’s proposal to increase the investigatory powers of the government and the HEA would expand the areas in which universities could be investigated. Universities have long lobbied for increased autonomy from the government, especially as state funding declined over the last several years, with Provost Patrick Prendergast claiming that autonomy was one of the biggest issues facing the sector.
While Trinity was not one of the universities investigated by the Oireachtas committee, the much publicised report, which raised serious questions about the financial competence of third-level institutions, comes at a time when it is leading the call for increased funding for the sector.
