A LECTURER WHO was passed over for promotion by NUI Galway has welcomed a ruling by the Equality Tribunal ordering the college to pay her €70,000 in damages and immediately promote her.

Dr Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington, who lectures in botany, went forward for a senior post in 2009, but failed to get the job.

The Equality Tribunal found the college’s hiring process was flawed, and that the lecturer was discriminated against on grounds of gender.

In a statement today, NUIG said it accepted the decision ”unreservedly” and would take “immediate steps to implement the Tribunal’s findings”.

The University initiated “a major review of Senior Lecturer promotion procedures in 2012/13,” the statement said.

“Following the review, the University introduced a new promotion scheme in 2014 which resulted in 28 promotions, one third of which were promotions of female staff members.”

It concluded:

The University very much regrets the distress caused to Dr Sheehy-Skeffington in this matter, thanks her for her contribution over many years and wishes her well in the future.

Speaking to RTÉ, Sheehy-Skeffington said the finding was a “landmark” decision.

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