Academic staff at NUI Galway are angry about the latest twist to the controversy over its Irish language examination.
A senior research post has fallen vacant just months after it was the subject of an unsuccessful High Court challenge. Siptu's teaching section at the university wants the full facts surrounding the vacancy to be made known.
The post at issue is the new vice-president of research to which Prof Roy Green, an Australian management expert, was appointed in July. The appointment had been frozen after a legal challenge was initiated by another contender, Dr Pat Morgan.
Dr Morgan, a former dean of science, was excluded due to lack of competency in Irish - even though she has passed Irish exams before. Prof Green, who opted not to take the Irish exam as he is Australian, was appointed in July. But late last week he informed NUI Galway president Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh he was resigning for "personal and family reasons".
But Prof Green informed colleagues yesterday that he had also been offered a prestigious post as dean of the graduate school of management at Macquarie University, Australia. NUIG said yesterday that as far as it was concerned he was leaving for personal reasons only.
Prof Green said he could not recall what he may have told the college president last week, but had been happy to clarify the situation yesterday in his e-mail to staff. He has given three months' notice in relation to the vice-president of research position, but will retain his post as professor of management until April 2006, when he will take one year's unpaid leave of absence.
Prof Green confirmed the interview for the new post took place in August, a month after he had taken up the NUIG position, but the decision to move back to look after ageing parents was still being debated by his family.
Macquarie University says he takes up the job in January 2006. It says it is fortunate to have "attracted someone with high level management skills" and "academic acumen".
Dr Michael J Hynes of the chemistry department, who is chair of Siptu's teaching section, said the union would examine the full facts surrounding the appointment.
Next month, the university's Irish exam revisits the courts when another challenge is taken over its use in making appointments.
The Department of Education and NUIG have both said they are committed to reviewing the 1929 Act which obliges the university to apply the Irish language test.
