Professor McKenna will retire next month

Professor Gerry McKenna is retiring early at the end of February but he will not have worked for 15 months.

His salary for that period is in the region of £250,000, along with legal fees of £70,000 and other bills.

Ulster Unionist assembly member David Burnside said taxpayers will feel their money has been used extravagantly.

He said that there ought to be public scrutiny of the costs.

Professor McKenna had been due to remain as president until 31 July, when his one-year contract was due to expire.

He went to court to stop the university dismissing him at the start of January and forcing him to leave his official residence.

On Wednesday, the High Court heard both parties had reached a settlement and that Professor McKenna would retire on 28 February.

In the lengthy negotiations, the university is believed to have declined to commission an official portrait of Professor McKenna or provide a formal retirement dinner.

Report

A report into the vice-chancellor's behaviour is thought to have cost £6,000.

The university-commissioned report into whistle-blowing allegations made by senior staff was critical of his management style.

There were accusations that his work had been impaired by alcohol and that he bullied staff.

The report concluded that there were grounds for further investigation which could have led to disciplinary action.

The university decided not to proceed to a further investigation.