Kerstin Mey and the ongoing shambles at the University Of Limerick

Gregor Samsa

So in March, it emerged that UL President Kerstin Mey spent a whopping €12.85 million of the University's money on 20 student homes in 2022 - €5.2 million above the then market price. As a result, The Comptroller & Auditor General is examining the deal, and the Higher Education Authority has initiated a statutory review of UL governance. Unite, the lecturers' union, called for a forensic examination of the finances of the University, and the UL Postgraduate Students Union called for her resignation. Limerick City and County Council questioned the planning status of the development (as commercial student accommodation, rather than domestic housing). Separately, UL were also €8 million in the hole for buying the old Dunnes Stores building in Limerick City for an inflated price. She was due to appear before the Public Accounts Committee to be questioned on all this in April. (https://www.limerickpost.ie/2024/03/28/ul-president-faces-staff-outrage-and-appearance-before-dail-committee/)

Mey reacted to all this by emailing in sick. (https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41362906.html)

She's been off sick ever since, not giving any account to anyone about her involvement in the questionable financial activities of the University.

Today, the headlines announce that she as decided to "resign". ( https://www.live95fm.ie/news/live95-news/breaking-ul-president-to-resign-from-her-role/ )

What's that? Doing the right thing? Finally taking responsibility?

No! She's being kept on in the University from September 1st as a Professor! They haven't said what she'll be professor of, but her PhD is in Art Theory and Aesthetics.

Seriously, what does it take to get someone to even answer questions about their involvement in questionable activities?

amacca

There simply aren't consequences if you are at the higher levels or the lower levels of society....and a lot of people seem to like it that way.

silliussoddius

Sounds a bit like the waster at rte.

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058355916/kerstin-mey-and-the-ongoing-shambles-at-the-university-of-limerick

why is the focus all on Kerstin Mey and not the executives who actually did the deal, did they also do the Dunnes deal?

He
will tell the committee a representative on behalf of Sivergrove
Developments contacted UL chief commercial officer Andrew Flaherty late
in 2021 with a proposal for the university to acquire the homes.

Mr
Flaherty and UL chief financial and performance officer Gary Butler
later became the main sponsors of the deal as it went through internal
approval processes.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/university-of-limerick-to-apologise-for-housing-deal-at-centre-of-garda-probe/a373925582.html

if we want to talk about avoiding responsibility look at this the Flaherty didn't go to the Oireachtas committee because he "had a long standing engagement"… but he was in Dublin watching and texting the committee as it happened… https://extra.ie/2024/05/10/news/university-of-limerick-chief-snubbed

BrianD3

Senior executives in public sector organisations are prone to developing illnesses whenever negative attention comes on them. Dee Forbes and others in RTE. Philip Nolan in SFI and now poor Kerstin as well. They really should look after their health better.

timmyntc

Mey had to go, but plenty of other execs also need to answer. Flaherty in particular needs to be held to account as he had a direct role in all of this.

JP Liz V1

Professor Mey will be taking up a professorship at the university from September 1 of this year.

The president had been on extended sick leave since last March 27, five days after informing the UL student body that the institution had lost €5.3m in overpaying for the acquisition of 20 houses at an estate in Rhebogue, 3km from its main campus.

Her pending resignation was announced by chancellor of the university, Brigid Laffan, in a communication to staff on Friday afternoon. UL said that it would be making no further comment on the matter at this time. 

Another Dee Forbes, just give a sick note, no answering

batman75

There was a similar situation in the southeast where a local authority paid millions for a building to house a new library. The said building is vacant and has been since been bought maybe a decade ago and the council paid millions over the odds. To the best of my knowledge whoever signed off on that expenditure has never been held to account for that. Criminal.

A reputable auctioneer independent of the sale should be hired to give the state body a valuation on the building or proposed development before a bid is submitted. Then at least you have a reference point. Any idiot can put a sale price on what their selling. It takes a bigger idiot to pay it without seeking guidance as to the merit of the said asking price.

LetticebCivil

Perhaps she will run for one of our government parties in the GE. Sounds like she has the right ethos to fit right in.