Search process for new NUI Galway president cost €108,000

The search for a new university president to replace Dr Jim Browne cost NUI Galway in excess of €108,000.

The bulk of the outlay – €61,500 – covered the costs of consultancy services supplied by a London-based recruitment company. The remainder of the costs related to international advertising of the position, as well as costs associated with conducting interviews, including international travel and accommodation.

Following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, NUIG has confirmed to the Connacht Tribune that it spent some €108,089 on recruiting a new president.

The services of recruitment specialists Perrett Laver were retained by NUIG at a cost of €61,500.

Perrett Laver, who last year NUIG said was “assisting” in the search for a new president, earned €50,000 for the job.

It was paid-out in instalments of €12,500 (plus VAT) over four months of 2017 – March, April, May and September.

“Perrett Laver was the only recruitment firm to assist with the presidency recruitment process. They were recruited following an open and competitive tendering process open to both national and international firms.

“There was significant interest in the contract and tendering for such work is keenly contested. Despite consulting with other universities who have undertaken similar work recently, (NUIG) was not informed of the fee charged for similar work carried out elsewhere,” a spokesperson for NUIG said.

Perrett Laver paid some €17,691 on “international advertising” to attract the best person for the role. These costs were recouped from NUIG.

Additional costs associated with the recruitment process amounted to €28,898, NUIG said. These included the cost of national and international travel – one or more candidates were flown in from abroad for interview – subsistence, accommodation, room hire and documentation costs.

NUIG would not give a more detailed breakdown of those costs, however. “The applicants applied for the role of President of NUIG in the legitimate expectation that they were engaging in a confidential process as such the University has an ongoing duty to ensure that such confidentiality is protected hence only the overall figure can be released,” a spokesperson added.

Dr Browne had served as registrar and deputy president of NUIG for seven years before becoming the twelfth president of the university in March 2008 when he succeeded Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh. His successor, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, took over the reins in January.