€397k spent by Waterford Institute of Technology did not follow guidelines

Waterford Institute of Technology paid out almost €400,000 — more than a third of which went on travel — without going through proper procurement, new accounts show. In 2017, three areas of expenditure totalling €397,708 were identified by WIT that did not comply with public procurement guidelines, according to the institute’s most recently filed financial statement.

Among this was €144,408 spent on travel, which included the cost of hotels and flights. However, actual fees paid to the travel providers concerned were below the tender threshold, the accounts note.