The Department of Education has announced details of a review of governance and financial practices of the University of Limerick.
The review will be the second formal investigation by a State body into complaints made by current and former employees at the college about the university's staff expenses procedures.
The complaints centre on perceived abuses of the system, as well as the treatment of staff after they had raised concerns with the university.
Last year the Higher Education Authority commissioned an investigation into the perceived abuses and made a number of recommendations to the university.
In a statement issued by the department this evening, Minister for Education Richard Bruton said he had met the whistleblowers and had agreed with the HEA on an independent review "to address the issues raised".
The investigation will examine the allegations made by several current and former employees. It will also examine allegations from any other person who may have concerns.
According to terms of reference drawn up by the department the review will determine whether the allegations require further examination and whether they are "well-founded".
Where allegations are judged to be valid the review will make findings or recommendations to the university in areas including governance, human resources, and financial and administrative processes.
It will also examine wider HR policies at UL, including practices around the use of severance payments.
The review will be overseen by Richard Thorn, who is President Emeritus of Sligo Institute of Technology.
It is expected to be completed by the end of September.
The allegations were made by employees who worked in the university's finance department. One has since left the university, while the other two remain suspended with pay for the past two years.
Among the staff complaints was the payment of mileage for certain senior employees for travel between their homes and the university.
Another related to a claim for expenses for a trip to Australia by a staff member who was on sabbatical. The claim included expenses for the staff member's spouse.
Two months ago the then president of UL Professor Don Barry told the Public Accounts Committee that UL had since changed its sabbatical claims policy.
He also acknowledged that expenses for travel from home to the university had been paid in error.
He told the PAC that a disciplinary process against the two staff members who had made allegations, currently suspended, had not yet begun because they had made a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission.
