The @UL Governing Authority chaired by Mary Harney met this morning, via video conference. Dr Des Fitzgerald was not on the call. The first item on the agenda was the reading out of his resignation statement. It proved something of a showstopper.

First item of business, I should say. It wasn't on any agenda. UL has experienced turmoil for five years now. The failure to issue student accommodation refunds, widely condemned by staff and students, was the latest example of that. It will now happen, following today's meeting

Des Fitzgerald to colleagues last week: "Our first draft budget for 20/21 was showing a breakeven position and indeed we were looking forward to a surplus after years of deficits. However, with knowledge of the true extent of COVID-19, we have had to revise the budget for 2019."

After blaming Covid-19 for jeopardising what he suggested had been looking like a healthy healthy financial situation for @UL, Dr Des Fitzgerald warned colleagues last week: "We are now predicting a substantial loss of income and a large deficit for the year."

Several sources with knowledge of UL's finances dispute that the situation was as described by the president - and say there were growing concerns about a significant financial deficit long before the emergence of Covid-19