NUI Galway is to review its controversial policy on the Irish language after the issue dominated the election of its president last year.
The policy, which means candidates for jobs at the college must sit an Irish exam, may be severely curtailed. According to minutes of a recent governing body meeting - seen by The Irish Times - the president, Prof Iognβid ╙ Muircheartaigh, an Irish speaker, has committed himself to a review.
Discussion on the matter is now before the standing and strategic planning committee of the governing body, the college said yesterday.
According to the minutes, Prof ╙ Muircheartaigh said the 1929 Act which set up the policy needed to be looked at again.
He proposes "setting up a special group charged with producing a comprehensive positive plan for Irish in the life of the university".
This review would, he says, look at the "relevance of the Act and whether its repeal should be sought, the intention being to arrive at a consensual view".
Members of the college's governing authority told The Irish Times yesterday they expected changes to the policy to be considered shortly. If the current policy is removed, the college is likely to support the language in a different way.
As part of this the college is seeking large-scale Government funding to bring its courses to people in Gaeltacht areas, including a site in Gweedore, Co Donegal.
NUI Galway is unique in the third-level sector in having such an Irish requirement, which is included in the University College Galway Act, 1929.
The Irish test consists of a one-hour essay chosen by the candidate from a list relevant to the post, and a short oral exam.
In certain cases, candidates who pass the exam in Irish are given priority over those who do not pass.
Last year, there was controversy over the issue. In April, several academics raised concerns about the requirement being used in the selection process for a new president. The post was won by Prof ╙ Muircheartaigh.
Subsequently, one of the university's leading academics, Prof Emer Colleran, resigned from the college's governing authority because of the decision, even though an eight-member assessment board favoured another candidate.