The seven university presidents have also been considering a court challenge against the new Employment Control Framework which some maintain runs counter to the 1997 Universities Act, guaranteeing their independence.

While university presidents are cautious about a legal challenge, IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, said the new stipulation which allows colleges to engage academic staff largely on fixed-term contracts is a clear breach of European employment law.

The article published in The Irish Times of 7 September 2009 is available here and here.