First Previous (Chapter VII Planning and Evaluation) Next (Chapter IX The National University of Ireland, Maynooth)

24 1997

UNIVERSITIES ACT, 1997

Chapter VIII

Finance, Property and Reporting

Budgets.

37. —(1) A governing authority shall, on or before the 1st day of March in each financial year or such other date as An tÚdarás may approve (which may be a date before the commencement of the financial year to which the statement relates), prepare and submit to An tÚdarás, in such form and manner as may from time to time be approved by An tÚdarás, a statement of the proposed expenditure and expected income of the university for the financial year.

(2) An tÚdarás shall, having regard to the statement and after consultation with the governing authority of a university, determine the amount of money to be allocated to the university for the financial year from moneys provided to An tÚdarás pursuant to section 12 of the Higher Education Authority Act, 1971 , and the amount so allocated, together with the other expected income of the university as agreed with An tÚdarás, shall be the budget of the university for the financial year.

(3) When the budget of a university has been determined, it shall be a function of the chief officer, acting on the authority of the governing authority, to carry it into effect.

(4) An tÚdarás may at any time, on application made to it by the governing authority of a university, increase the amount of money to be allocated to the university from moneys provided to An tÚdarás.

(5) Where the chief officer of a university is of the opinion that a proposed course of action of the governing authority will or is likely to result in expenditure in excess of the budget which has not been increased in accordance with subsection (4), (in this section referred to as a “material departure from the budget”) the chief officer shall so inform the governing authority.

(6) Where a governing authority, despite being informed as required by subsection (5), decides to proceed with its course of action, the chief officer shall, unless satisfied that a material departure from the budget will not occur, as soon as practicable, inform An tÚdarás of the decision of the governing authority.

(7) Where, notwithstanding this section, a university incurs expenditure in excess of its budget which is not met from the income of the university other than the money allocated to it by An tÚdarás, that excess shall be a first charge on the budget for the next succeeding financial year.

Borrowing and loan guarantees.

38. —(1) A university may borrow money by means of bank overdraft or otherwise and may guarantee or underwrite a loan taken or borrowing undertaken by a person or a body of persons.

(2) Borrowing, guaranteeing and underwriting under subsection(1) shall be in accordance with a framework which shall be agreed from time to time between the universities and An tÚdarás, following consultation by An tÚdarás with the Minister and the Minister for Finance.

Keeping of accounts and records.

39. —(1) A university shall keep, in such form as may be approved by An tÚdarás, all proper and usual accounts and records of all income received or expenditure incurred by it.

(2) Accounts kept in pursuance of subsection (1) shall, to the extent directed by the Comptroller and Auditor General, be submitted annually by a university to the Comptroller and Auditor General, for audit, by such date as the Comptroller and Auditor General may from time to time determine and, immediately after the audit, a copy of the accounts, together with a copy of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the accounts, shall be presented by the university to An tÚdarás and to the Minister.

(3) The Minister shall cause copies of the accounts presented under this section to the Minister, together with copies of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on those accounts, to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.

Fees.

40. —(1) A university may determine and charge fees of such amounts for student registration, courses, lectures, examinations, exhibitions or any other event, service or publication held or provided at or by, or produced by, the university.

(2) An tÚdarás may review with the universities the fees charged or proposed to be charged by the universities for student registration and courses, and for lectures and examinations relating to those courses.

(3) Arising from a review under subsection (2), An tÚdarás may, without prejudice to subsection (1) and after consultation with the Minister, advise the universities on the fees which in its opinion should be charged.

Report and information.

41. —(1) The chief officer shall, with the approval of the governing authority and having regard to the strategic development plan under section 34 , as soon as practicable after the end of each period, not exceeding three years commencing on the commencement of this Part or at the end of the previous such period, whichever is the later, as the governing authority thinks fit, prepare a report on the operations and the performance of the university during that period.

(2) The governing authority shall publish the report in such form as it thinks fit and shall provide the Minister with a copy and the Minister shall cause a copy of the report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as practicable after it is received by him or her.

Disposal of land, etc.

42. —(1) Subject to subsection (2), a university may sell or otherwise dispose of any land the property of the university.

(2) Where the acquisition, development or refurbishment of land, the property of a university, was funded in whole or in part out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas after the date of the passing of this Act, a sale or other disposal of that land shall be subject to such terms and conditions relating to a payment to the Minister in recompense for such moneys, as may be agreed between the Minister and the governing authority.

(3) If a university ceases to be funded substantially from moneys provided by the Oireachtas, then all moneys provided to the university by the Oireachtas after the date of the passing of this Act for the acquisition, development or refurbishment of land, or for the acquisition of any other assets which are the property of the university, shall be repayable to the Minister subject to such terms and conditions, including as to the amount to be so repaid, as may be agreed between the Minister and the governing authority.

(4) Where the Minister and a governing authority cannot agree on terms and conditions referred to in this section, the issues in dispute shall be determined by an arbitrator appointed by the President of the High Court and any arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the Arbitration Acts, 1954 and 1980.