Garvey claims €125,000 in expenses from Tralee college

FORMER Mayor of Clare Flan Garvey clocked up in the region of €125,000 in expenses attending meetings and representing Tralee Institute of Technology (ITT) over a seven-year period, it emerged this week.

 

The retired principal of St Flannan’s National School, Inagh, is currently the chairman of the governing body of ITT, which involves making numerous trips to Tralee and other locations throughout the country representing the college.

Speaking to The Clare Champion, Mr Garvey admitted he hadn’t kept a detailed account of the expenses he had incurred over the seven-year period between 2005 and 2011.

However, he insisted he was sure he didn’t receive any expenses over and above his entitlement, due to the efficient financial controller.

“I haven’t kept an account of what I received from Tralee IT over the seven years but I am sure that I haven’t got anything that I wasn’t entitled to receive,” he said.

He pointed out there was no comparison between the level of travel of a board member living near the college and what he had covered during his term as chairman.

In addition to attending a variety of meetings and sub-committee meetings, Mr Garvey said he had travelled all over the country representing the college. If Mr Garvey travelled to Tralee IT via the Shannon Tunnel and onto the Limerick to Tarbert road, it would involve a distance of 155km.

The former long-serving Fianna Fáil councillor received a master’s degree in 2008 after completing a dissertation entitled A study of the Saoicht of a parish in County Clare.

Last week, it emerged that 26 staff at the college had written to college registrar Dr Michael Hall, accusing Mr Garvey of allegedly plagiarising parts of his thesis and requested an independent investigation should be undertaken by the Qualifications Assurance Authority Ireland (QQI).

An ITT spokeswoman told The Clare Champion it “takes seriously any allegation of academic misconduct and all such matters are investigated thoroughly”.

She declined to comment on the claims made in relation to Mr Garvey and the expenses he had incurred during his term as chairman of the governing body.

The governing board was scheduled to meet on Wednesday where it was expected the plagiarism allegations would be raised.

Meanwhile, Ennis Town Councillor Peter Considine, who is chairman of the Tralee Audit Committee, got €24,809 for the same seven-year period.

Councillor Considine said he couldn’t definitively say what mileage or expenses he had clocked up over the period but had no reason to dispute this figure. However, he pointed out he would do a lot more travel than an ordinary member, due to his role as chairman of the college’s audit committee.