Limerick university bosses will not appear before Public Accounts Committee this week

EXECUTIVE staff at University of Limerick (UL) will not be giving evidence to the Public Accounts Committee this week.

College bosses were slated to appear before the powerful Oireachtas committee this Thursday after news emerged that there had been a €5m overspend on accommodation for post-graduate students at Rhebogue.

But a spokesperson for the Oireachtas confirmed to Limerick Live that this will not take place as planned in the wake of college president Kerstin Mey going on sick leave.

UL is under a period of intense scrutiny and its funders, the Higher Education Authority will be on campus later this month after the news it paid €630,000 for homes in the Drominbeg estate.

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This is almost three times the average of what properties in the area were being sold for, and it came just months after a similar overspend was flagged - that of €1.5m above market value at the former Dunnes Stores at Sarsfield Street in the city centre.

President Kerstin Mey has declared herself "incapacitated" for the PAC sitting this Thursday, April 11.

She had, however, indicated that she would be willing to attend at some point this college term.

Last week, Prof Shane Kilcommins, who has assumed President Mey's responsibilities in her absence said the college is in engagement with PAC regarding a hearing date.

"We intend to make it clear to the PAC that we will make ourselves available and that we will be utterly candid in our engagements with their questions," he added.

Prof Kilcommins said there is a need to improve the "culture" throughout UL.

"Achieving cultural change will take time but it is absolutely clear that this must be a priority. We know from the survey carried out by Unite that there are issues that must be addressed, and I will be contacting the lead representatives about how we begin this important work," he added.