University of Galway writes off €1.6m over IT system

The University of Galway has announced it will write off €1.6 million in expenses related to a student record management system, according to the Public Accounts Committee. Development of the system has been ongoing, with €10.6 million spent to date. The university also incurred €552,000 in contract-dispute resolution costs, including mediation, legal review and consultancy fees.

The project was expected to be completed in 2023, but difficulties have arisen in several colleges, according to Comptroller and Auditor General Séamus McCarthy. Higher Education Authority is aware of these challenges, though they are less severe in other third-level institutions. McCarthy emphasized the importance of completing the system for the University of Galway.

PAC chair John Brady described the situation as "staggering," noting that the €1.6 million loss is part of a broader issue across departments and agencies. Sinn Féin TD Cathy Bennet called €10.6 million a "staggering amount of money" and urged the committee to investigate if other colleges are also spending such sums on student management systems.

Fine Gael TD Grace Boland questioned if other universities are learning from these issues. McCarthy pointed out that the University of Galway's financial statements include an independent review of the project's learnings and mistakes. Boland emphasized the need to escalate this issue to the top. Fianna Fáil TD Séamus McGrath criticized the lack of consistency among colleges in designing their own systems, calling it a "waste of public money."

The committee agreed to write to the University of Galway and the HEA to gather more information and determine if other universities have faced similar expenses.