Former UCD lecturer "victim of a history", tribunal hears

A FORMER college lecturer has claimed she was unfairly dismissed by University College Dublin in 1996. The Employment Appeals Tribunal heard yesterday that Dr Briona Nic Dhiarmada had been the victim of a history in the Irish department.

Dr Nic Dhiarmada had been employed on four consecutive temporary contracts from October 1992 to September 1996, in the department of modern Irish language and literature.

SIPTU branch secretary Ms Patricia King, representing Dr Nic Dhiarmada, said she was not interviewed for the job she was doing when a vacancy arose at the end of her last contract.

"This woman was subjected - particularly in the course of the last 18 months - to quite severe harassment, particularly by the head of the department," Ms King said.

UCD personnel officer Mr Andrew Kelly accepted that the position for which Dr Nic Dhiarmada was not interviewed was not advertised internally or in the national media.

Questioned by counsel for UCD, Mr Ercus Stewart SC, Mr Kelly agreed it had been advertised in the Institute of Linguistics, and the Institute of Advanced Studies, UCC, UCG, Maynooth College, the University of Ulster and Queens.

Asked by Ms King if he thought Dr Nic Dhiarmada had been treated fairly, Mr Kelly said: "She was given four one year contracts to replace permanent members of staff under the same conditions of employment as anyone else."

Ms King said several difficulties had arisen during Dr Nic Dhiarmada's final contract.

Hear department head, Dr Seosamh Watson, had told Ms Nic Dhiarmada to "get out of the office she was in", Ms King said. And Dr Nic Dhiarmada was "left out in the corridor basically to carry on her business wherever she liked".

Ms King said Dr Nic Dhiarmada was put in a room with eight other tutors. And in January 1996 Dr Watson sent a notice to all occupants of this room informing Dr Nic Dhiarmada that she had to leave and return the key.

Asked by Mr Stewart whether space was a problem in the college Mr Kelly said: "Yes. Accommodation is a problem in virtually every building in UCD".

UCD secretary Dr Gerard Wright said he had spoken to Dr Nic Dhiarmada in October 1995. "We agreed at that time that that would be her last appointment in the college. We shook hands on it and she went away very happy."

Dr Wright said Dr Nic Dhiarmada had returned on June 27th, 1996 and "said she was looking for a further contract" because circumstances had changed, and the person she was replacing was now retiring.

Ms King asked Dr Wright if he was aware of a meeting Dr Nic Dhiarmada had with UCD president Dr Art Cosgrove. "Did you know the president said `ouch'? And then having said that said I'm afraid you're a victim of a history in that department?" Dr Wright said he was not aware of this conversation. And he was not aware of any "power struggle" in the Irish department.

Dr Cosgrove and the registrar Dr Caroline Hussey, have been subpoenaed by counsel for Dr Nic Dhiarmada.

The hearing was adjourned to July 31st.