Published: Thursday, 26th November, 2009 5:30pm

AIT lecturer allowed to keep two pensions after double-jobbing

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A former lecturer with Athlone IT who resigned after breaching his contract by working for two third-level institutions at the same time will receive pensions from both jobs when he retires.

Fergal O'Malley, a lecturer in electronic engineering, was forced to resign in November 2007 after college authorities in AIT and NUI Galway found out he was teaching in both colleges.

A post-grad student at NUI Galway made a complaint to college authorities because he had to cover Mr O'Malley's classes in Galway while the lecturer travelled back to AIT to teach the same subject.

However, at a Dáil Public Accounts Committee hearing last Thursday, AIT President Ciarán " Catháin said that legal advice recommended that Mr O'Malley is entitled to keep his AIT pension because he paid into it.

The Department of Education's Secretary General said advice given to NUI Galway was the same as he also paid pension contributions there.

The lecturer earned €170,000 per year from his two jobs and the double jobbing went on for eight years. When he was confronted by college heads in March 2007, Mr O'Malley resigned from both posts.

Mr " Catháin also stressed at the hearing that the lecturer did not receive a severance package.

He told the committee that Mr O'Malley did want one, but AIT made it clear that he had to resign or the college would suspend him without pay.

At the committee hearing, Fianna Fáil Deputy Darragh O'Brien said that the lecturer should have been sacked.

"You have been making double contributions to this guy for eight years. I find it incredible because, effectively, he should not have been working in two full-time roles.

When we are facing tough economic times and dealing with issues, such as whether or not to introduce third-level fees, it's difficult to understand how a situation like this could happen. Are we just going to let this guy walk off into the sunset?" he asked college authorities.

The Comptroller and Auditor General John Buckley has called for a greater need for transparency surrounding the services by lecturers.