A sworn inquiry into an exam cheating case at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) is expected to be instigated by the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, within a matter of weeks.
The Minister is understood to be open to the request made by the director of LIT, Mr J.P. MacDonagh, a fortnight ago for an inquiry to be established into the case which involves the son of a department head.
A Department of Education source said documentation had been referred to the Attorney General's office for legal advice pending a final decision by the Minister.
The second-year Construction Studies student, Mr Cormac O'Loughlin, failed in the summer exams of 2000 and was suspended from resitting exams for two year.
He admitted he photocopied model answers he had removed from his father's office while it was vacant.
He has stated that he memorised the answers and reproduced them in three exam papers.
The punishment was criticised as too lenient by the former High Court judge, Mr Rory O'Hanlon, who conducted an inquiry into the incident earlier this year.
But he acknowledged that doubts had been expressed over the jurisdiction of the college to expel the student.
His father, Mr Gerry O'Loughlin, who is head of the Department of the Built Environment and chairman of Shannon Rugby Club, was suspended on full pay following a meeting of the college's governing body on November 20th.
He has denied any wrongdoing.
The two lecturers in his department who brought the case to light, Mr Peter Ronan and Mr Michael O'Connor, are currently on sick leave with stress-related complaints.
They and Mr O'Loughlin are members of the Teachers' Union of Ireland.
What's going on at LIT?: see E&L