The Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, has said he has no part to play in sorting out the row that has led to 25 occupational therapy students being left without a course in Galway, writes Kathryn Holmquist, Education Correspondent.
But Fine Gael TD Mr Pat Breen has said the Minister has a duty to "use his good offices and his officials to bring the two sides together on this issue quickly".
NUI Galway said it was shocked to discover last week that a course in occupational therapy that it had listed in the CAO offers had failed to gain accreditation from the Association of Occupational Therapists in Ireland (AOTI).
The students, who achieved a minimum of 490 points each in the Leaving to qualify for occupational therapy in NUI Galway, were told on Friday the course had been cancelled. The affected students' parents have called on the Minister to immediately appoint a facilitator in the disagreement between NUI Galway and the AOTI. Their children were experiencing "distress and anguish", the parents stated.
However, yesterday the Minister urged NUI Galway and the AOTI "to get together very, very quickly and sort it out". He did not want to get involved in a "slagging match". He did believe, though, that NUI Galway would not have listed the course unless it had a reasonable expectation it would be approved.
Mr Breen said the students were distressed after putting in great effort and sacrifice to achieve a very high standard in their Leaving Certificates. "Why is it that a similar course in UCC has been recently upgraded and accreditation secured, as it has in UL, while the same is not true of Galway?" he asked.
The university stated that it was "surprised and shocked" when it was told on August 27th of the AOTI's decision not to approve the course. Without AOTI approval, students trained in occupational therapy in Galway would be unable to practice. The university should have been informed earlier, he believed.
The AOTI has said it regrets the effect the decision has had on students who were enrolled ahead of the completion of the approval and accreditation process, and indicated it would continue to work with the university in an effort to ensure it achieved the required standard.