UCC board urges end to public debate
In what is understood to be their first public statement, UCC’s foundation board, chaired by Michael O’Flynn of O’Flynn Construction, and which includes former president of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, and former Attorney General, Dermot Gleeson, said they were concerned by the damage it has done to UCC’s reputation.
They called for time to allow John Malone, a former general secretary of the Department of Agriculture, carry out his independent review of allegations of financial mismanagement and other claims made against UCC staff.
The allegations were made to Education Minister Mary Hanafin by UCC’s head of philosophy, Professor Des Clarke. He claims there has been a failure to control UCC’s debt under college president Gerry Wrixon’s tenure and that there is widespread intimidation of staff.
The issue has been played out in the press for months.
“To commence the process of repairing the damage done to the university’s reputation, we ask everyone with the best interest of UCC at heart to refrain from public debate on this matter pending the completion of the process instigated by the governing body.”
The board said it believes that UCC has been and is a well-managed university.
They said it has attracted record levels of research funding and top academics through “academic excellence and strong, visionary and prudent management of the university’s affairs”.
However, unnamed academics accused the board of meddling in college affairs without having a full understanding of the issues.
“They have called for silence and have expressed concern at the recent damage done to the college, but how many of them actually know what’s going on. It is a simply ridiculous situation and is bordering on the farcical,” one said.
Prof Wrixon’s successor is due to be announced at the next meeting of the governing body on December 5.
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