The following is an edited version of an agreement drawn up by the Irish Universities Association (IUA), the group representing the seven university heads.
"We are committed to this collaboration protocol in order to deliver on a shared vision for the sector, whilst allowing for the differentiation necessary across our universities.
We now agree that:
Universities will work through the IUA, as their representative body, to develop and pursue policies/programmes with a sectoral dimension.
That inter-institutional recruitment of staff within the system shall only be by open and transparent public advertisement of specific posts filled by competitive selection and appointment process.
That, where a university has established an area of strength in research and teaching underpinned by major strategic public investment, and affirmed in its strategic plan submitted to the HEA, no other Irish university shall act in a manner whereby 'effectiveness is undermined in an area which is a chosen strategic area of the university affected'(HEA formal request to university heads, May 2006).
To give effect to this agreement, each head has committed to accepting the call of the head of an affected university to take the action required to avoid an unacceptable outcome in this regard.
Nothing in the above shall be taken to delimit the entitlement of any individual within the sector to seek to progress her/his career in a manner which she/he sees fit.
An IUA Collaboration Group . . . will be convened to review, on an annual basis, the operation of this protocol and to propose updating, if required, to the IUA Council. The IUA executive will prepare an annual report on collaboration as a basis for the group's annual review."