Lecturer walks out on his dismissal hearing

A college lecturer walked out of proceedings to dismiss him from his job yesterday.

A college lecturer walked out of proceedings to dismiss him from his job yesterday.

John Riney, a scientist at Letterkenny Institute of Technology, refused to recognise the proceedings initiated by the institute under the direction of Education Minister Mary Hanafin.

An inquiry got under way on Monday querying if Mr Riney is "unfit to hold office as a lecturer".

It is rare for the Minister for Education to initiate proceedings against a lecturer appointed by the Vocational Education Committee.

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Mr Riney left the inquiry shortly after 10.30am yesterday after he presented a box of evidence. The lecturer, who has been suspended from his post as a biochemist at the institute since April last year, left the inquiry room to fetch evidence.

He later returned out of breath and dropped a cardboard box in front of the college's solicitor Séamus Given. When Mr Given refused to search the box, Mr Riney produced a brown parcel from the box which he said had been delivered to his home in Milford on Monday evening.

The parcel was the book of documents which Mr Given had testified on Monday had been posted to Mr Riney on April 22nd.

The book of documents had not been delivered to Mr Riney's home until 7.45pm on Monday evening.

Chairman of the inquiry Niall Beirne said difficulties had arisen because it was apparent the document had not been delivered to Mr Riney until Monday.

He said Mr Riney had left the proceedings and had not indicated why. Mr Riney was neither present nor represented as he was making his own defence.

The courier responsible for delivering the package refused to attend the inquiry to give evidence.

Peter Nolan, for the college, applied for a one-day adjournment. He said Mr Riney had already indicated he had no intention of referring to the booklet, he "did not need it" and said he "would not read it".

Mr Nolan added that 90 per cent of the booklet contained letters written by Mr Riney, and added that he would not be prejudiced by not being present.

Mr Beirne directed that Mr Riney be made aware of the adjournment by a letter to be delivered personally to his home by solicitor Mr Given.

Mr Nolan requested a summons server deliver the letter, given Mr Riney's attitude toward the college solicitor.

Earlier at the inquiry Mr Riney said it was a "kangaroo court".

He said the "authority and dignity of the administration of justice" was not being complied with.

The former acting head of the science department, Dr Brian Carney, continued to gave evidence yesterday morning. He said Mr Riney had refused to teach chromatographic techniques to a class in the second semester.

In his defence Mr Riney had cited the "composition of the class group" as one of his reasons for not teaching the group.

Dr Carney said there were grievance procedures in place for Mr Riney if he felt he was not confident in a subject to teach a class.

He said lecturers were required to teach for 16 hours a week, set exams, continual assessment and attend course board meetings. Mr Riney did not teach classes or attend any meetings. He did not make Dr Carney aware of any reasons for not teaching the class.

He said Mr Riney was also absent without authority in November 2002 when he was imprisoned for non-payment of fines.

Mr Beirne and the college undertook to inform Mr Riney of the adjournment by letter.

The inquiry continues in Letterkenny.