In Limerick lecturers are threatening industrial action if a sworn inquiry into a reported student cheating in an examination is not held by the end of the month. Lecturers at the Limerick Institute of Technology as well as members of the TUI are calling on the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, to proceed with the inquiry.
The motion states that if he does not comply by March 31st the branch will ballot its members on "appropriate industrial action". The lecturers want an inquiry into how the student gained access to exam papers.
In the summer of 2000 a second-year construction studies student at the Limerick institute was suspended after two internal examiners noticed the answers he had given in his exam were the same as model answers used to correct papers. The student's father, who was a college lecturer, has vehemently denied that he gave his son access to exam answers.
In a sworn affidavit he said he confronted his son, who admitted taking the documents from his office and photocopying them. The son said he had memorised the material before sitting the exam.