Amid the scandals, universities still need new funds

The recent scandals at some of our third-level institutions revealed by an RTÉ investigation could not have come at a worse time for the third-level sector in the public debate around sustainable funding.

The questions raised about inappropriate expenses and governance and a lack of clarity on mergers, research centres, and procurement were compounded by the attitude taken by the institutions towards the Public Accounts Committee. This will damage these institutions politically and in the public eye.

It is likely that the third level sector will try to deflect from these revelations by highlighting the sharp cuts in funding since the recession. Of course, it has to be pointed out that none of the revelations on the Prime Time Investigates programme was caused by lack of resources. Good governance is not dependent on financial resources.