University of Galway writes off €1.6 million on incomplete IT System 

The University of Galway’s Quadrangle. Credit: JByard.

Building on media reports last week and further investigations by Student Independent News (SIN), we can now report that the University of Galway spent €10.6 million on its lagging student records system as part of its Student Digital Pathways programme, which is years past its deadline.

Following a breakdown in services from the tendered provider, EduCampus, the project has still not been completed, more than three years after its original deadline of September 2023.

A final payment of €3 million was made by the University of Galway to EduCampus following the end of its services, for costs due under its contract.

This was preceded by a breakdown in talks between the two over the project. Mediation continued over a two-year period, with several attempts to bring the project back on track, all of which proved unsuccessful. A further €552,000 was spent on mediation fees, legal review and consultancy costs.

The University of Galway allowed its contract with EduCampus to reach its natural expiry date without a renewal offer in 2025, which resulted in a further payment of €324,000 in exit plan fees to preserve the hosting environment and work completed to date.

When asked for comment by the Irish Examiner, EduCampus stated that it did “not comment on confidential commercial agreements and are not in a position to comment further.”

Due to the issues associated with the project, the University of Galway commissioned a review to establish what parts of the work, which had cost the university over €10 million, would be usable in the future. The review found that between 60 percent and 80 percent of the work completed on the student records system was deemed reusable.

With only approximately €9 million of spending deemed reusable due to this 60 percent to 80 percent, the cost of the remaining lost work, estimated at €1.6 million, has been “essentially written off” by the University of Galway.

A separate review, provided by an “external and independent service provider”, is said to have provided a ‘lessons learned’ understanding of the issues.

This review also found failings “across the entire programme life cycle, including planning, resourcing, communication, programme governance, organisational readiness, and change management”.

According to the latest financial statements from the University of Galway, by 30 September 2025, the university had spent €13.4 million on the wider Student Digital Pathways programme, against an initial budget of €16.4 million.

The impact on the University of Galway’s student body is yet to be seen. Credit: RTÉ.

When Student Independent News investigated how EduCampus was selected for this tender, it found that the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report says the university used a public sector framework after ending an earlier tender process in 2020.

When asked what was to happen with the programme now, and whether a new supplier had been selected to take over from EduCampus, the University of Galway stated:

“The implementation of our student records management system is to continue on a phased basis, with a business case currently in preparation for the remaining elements. It is the largest business transformation project ever undertaken by University of Galway and it is being carried out while our legacy systems and services remain live for more than 20,000 students.”

The university declined to say who, if anyone, had been contracted to take over the project to date, stating that “a business case is currently in development for the next phase of the project.”

The most recent financial accounts from the University of Galway do suggest that the university is in early-stage talks with the company Ellucian about potential future works.

When asked about the reported €10 million deficit for the upcoming university budget, the University of Galway stressed that a possible reduction in expenditure for the coming financial year was in no way related to the issues with this project.

The university said the blame for a budget deficit lay largely at the feet of the government, with a spokesperson saying:

“University of Galway’s budget for the coming financial year has yet to be approved through formal governance processes. In preparation for that, a deficit has been forecasted – a substantial amount of which is due to the cumulative effect of underfunding of the higher education sector and public sector pay awards.

“This is an issue which universities have been dealing with for a number of years and we continue to engage with the Government on it. The forecasted deficit is not unexpected. It is part of prudent financial planning and it is being managed by identifying ways to increase income and reduce our cost base.

“At a sectoral level, in real terms, the Government now gives less money per student to universities than it did in 2008. As the Irish Universities Association said in its pre-Budget Submission, ‘there is a clear choice on Budget Day – act decisively to close the funding gap, supporting students of all ages, or risk eroding the capacity, quality and competitiveness of our third-level sector’.”

When asked by SIN for his opinion of the millions lost by the university, Students’ Union President Seán De Búrca said:

“There was a lack of governance. Good governance doesn’t result in the loss of millions of euros, and as much as the university may turn around and say that this money ‘wasn’t going to x, y and z to support students’, that’s not how money works. There’s an opportunity cost too, and that cost is something the students are going to feel the brunt of.”

Comptroller and Auditor General, Séamus McCarthy, explains the €1.6 million write-off to the PAC. Credit: Oireachtas TV.

The University of Galway’s issue with its new system was put before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at Leinster House this week, where questions were posed about the €1.6 million.

Comptroller and Auditor General Séamus McCarthy told TDs about the project and said that it had been due to be completed in 2023.

He stated that the Higher Education Authority (HEA) is aware of “difficulties that have been encountered in a number of colleges”.

“It hasn’t been as bad in other third-level institutions, but there are cases where projects are struggling,” he continued.

“The student records system is a very important support for the business of the university,” McCarthy added, stressing the importance of completing the project.

He also spoke briefly about the commissioned reviews into the issue, adding that “they refer to some of the learnings and some of the mistakes”.

Deputy Brady gives his opinion on the issue. Credit: Oireachtas TV.

Committee members questioned the C&AG, Séamus McCarthy, about the project and criticised its cost.

Labour TD for Cork North-Central Eoghan Kenny questioned whether other universities had used the same company without such issues.

McCarthy replied: “That is my understanding.”

Deputy McGrath questions the logic behind the issue. Credit: Oireachtas TV.

Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady described €1.6 million being “essentially lost” on “another IT project” as “absolutely staggering”. He continued, stating that “its repetition is right across the board in all departments and all agencies”.

Fine Gael’s Grace Boland agreed that “these IT issues are right across all sectors. This needs to be escalated right to the top.”

Fianna Fáil TD Séamus McGrath said it is “absolutely crazy that each college designs its own system […] [an] extraordinary waste of public money. Every college doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. There should be a consistency and coordination between the colleges.”

Deputy Bennett highlights the students at the heart of the issue. Credit: Oireachtas TV.

Commenting on the millions spent on the system, Sinn Féin TD Cathy Bennett said €10.6 million is an “extraordinary amount of money”. She also called it a “complete waste of money”, especially for “the students that are paying fees of €3,000 each”, given the amount of money that has been written off.

The Public Accounts Committee concluded the meeting by agreeing to write to the University of Galway and the HEA to gather more information and explore the possibility that other universities may be affected by similar issues.

The PAC agrees to write to the University of Galway. Credit: Oireachtas TV.

Separately, the University of Galway is planning for a forecast budget deficit of approximately €10 million in the coming financial year.

The university says the forecast deficit and planned cuts are not a result of the Student Digital Pathways project.

Several weeks ago, staff across all four colleges at the University of Galway were told there would be a 7 percent budget cut across the board this year.

SIN asked Students’ Union President Seán De Búrca whether, given these projected budget cuts and recent project failings costing millions, the university was accurate to insinuate that these issues had nothing to do with the announced job losses. He had this to say:

“No, well, not really. Those job losses are coming from the university not having enough money in the bank. Money being wasted is conducive to not having enough money, and that’s a fairly linear thought process there. You know, if I spend a fiver I don’t have that fiver to spend!”

University of Galway climate scientist Alastair McKinstry, based at the Irish Centre for High-End Computing, spoke to RTÉ’s Nuacht about the impact of these cuts.

McKinstry, who is also the chair of the University of Galway branch of the Irish Federation of University Teachers, explained that he believes more than 1,000 positions at the university may be at risk:

“Many research and teaching assistants will lose their jobs as a result of these cuts – some will not have their contracts renewed while others will have their hours cut drastically.”

While these cuts are meant to impact temporary and part-time positions most directly, McKinstry stressed that “no involuntary redundancies are expected but the workload for senior permanent staff will be massively increased. The postgraduate and temporary staff will be heavily impacted.”

Speaking in words which echoed the University of Galway’s own beliefs, McKinstry said:

“A large fraction of the cost that’s happening at the moment is because there’s been essentially an effective drop in the money coming from the Government and that is the major answer to the solution.”

In further developments on campus, staff across the country’s universities have announced industrial action.

With staff at the University of Galway confirming their participation in the national protest, a spokesperson for the University of Galway said:

“The University of Galway will continue to engage with unions following the announcement of national industrial action on the issue of public sector pay. Contingency planning is under way in order to minimise disruption for our students and other stakeholders.”

When asked by SIN whether the university’s review of how Arts is offered, including GY101, was related to these recent losses and projected financial failings, the university pointed us towards a previous comment:

“A review is currently underway in relation to how Arts is offered at the University. No decisions have been taken on the future of Arts. It is best practice for universities to routinely review how teaching and learning is offered to ensure high standards and modern approaches.”

For now, the issue of the money lost from the university purse will continue, with the impact on the wider university community yet to be seen. The question also remains of when the student records system and the Student Digital Pathways project will be completed, and what the true final cost will be.

Student Independent News promises to continue to report on this story and question the university’s leadership as it continues.