Courts / Waterford / Report

Ex-WIT President loses claim over not being reappointed to role

Date
2019-01-22

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Waterford

Summary

Professor Kieran Byrne, the former president of Waterford Institute of Technology, has lost his High Court action regarding his non-reappointment to the role. In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, Mr Justice Senan Allen rejected Prof Byrne's claim that he was entitled to be reappointed as WIT President in 2011. The judge determined that no member of WIT's governing body informed Prof Byrne he would be reappointed. Although Prof Byrne alleged that a selection board member and the Public Appointments Board indicated his selection, the court found he could not legitimately believe those parties spoke for the governing body. Prof Byrne, who served as President from 2001 to 2011, sought declarations that the governing body's decision not to ratify his appointment was null and void, along with damages for negligence, breach of contract, and misrepresentation. He argued the selection process was flawed and that the decision was influenced by media reports on office expenditure. WIT denied wrongdoing, stating the decision followed a transparent process. The judge concluded that appointing the president is a function of the governing body, not the subcommittee that recommended Prof Byrne's reappointment. The court held that the governing body was entitled to consider freedom of information requests concerning expenditure. Consequently, the judge dismissed the claims, noting that even if Prof Byrne mistakenly assumed reappointment, there was no evidence the governing body shared that assumption.