Former president of Irish university appointed to €175k role for which there is 'no course'

A former president of the University of Limerick (UL) has been appointed to a professorship role with a salary of €175,000 despite there being no course to teach.

Prof Kerstin Mey will take up the role as Professor of Visual Culture at the university upon her return from a twelve month sabbatical following her recent departure from the university as its president.

Representatives of the University of Limerick appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this Thursday morning to answer questions regarding significant overspending on a former Dunnes Stores site in the city centre, housing and now a student portal.

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This is the second time this year that the university has met with the PAC and more details have come to light regarding how UL have dealt internally with the last five years of controversy around spending decisions.

Acting President Shane Kilcommins and UL Chancellor Brigid Laffan were both questioned regarding outgoing former president Prof Kerstin Mey's position within the university to which the PAC were told that Prof Mey was currently on a paid twelve month sabbatical while also being internally investigated.

Members of the committee were also told that the embattled former president is preparing to return to UL as Professor of Visual Culture of which no course or department currently exists.

Prof Laffan insisted that such a move from president to Professor was "normal" in academia and that the sabbatical in between was not an unusual part of that process as it would allow Prof Mey to "kickstart" her academic career once again.

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