HEA boss denies ‘looking for head’ of ex-Waterford Iinstitute of Technology president

The chief executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) strongly rejected suggestions that he “went looking for the head” of the former president of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

During a sometimes tetchy hearing of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Tom Boland rejected assertions made by Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald that he had sought the resignation of Prof Kieran Byrne.

Prof Byrne and WIT had become embroiled in a major controversy over “extreme extravagance” in spending by his office and Ms McDonald claimed at the committee she had spoken to Prof Byrne about a meeting he had with Mr Boland. Ms McDonald said Prof Byrne was “quite categoric” in his view that “you, Mr Boland went looking for his head”.