Universities Act, 1997
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Staff. |
25.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), a university may, in accordance with procedures specified in a statute or regulation, appoint such and so many persons to be its employees as it thinks appropriate, having regard to— | |
(a) the efficient use of its available resources, the requirements of accountability for the use of moneys provided to it by the Oireachtas and the policy relating to pay and conditions in the Public Service as determined from time to time by the Government, | ||
(b) the implications of the appointments for its budget and for subsequent budgets, and | ||
(c) the guidelines, if any, issued under section 50 . | ||
(2) A governing authority may, subject to such conditions as it thinks fit, delegate to the chief officer any of the functions of the governing authority or the university relating to the appointment of employees of the university and the determination of selection procedures. | ||
(3) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the employees of a university shall be employed on such terms and conditions as the university from time to time determines. | ||
(4) Subject to subsection (5), there shall be paid by a university to the employees of that university, such remuneration, fees, allowances and expenses as may be approved from time to time by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance. | ||
(5) (a) A university may depart from levels of remuneration, fees, allowances and expenses approved under subsection (4) where the governing authority is satisfied that it is necessary to meet the objects of the university, but may do so only in accordance with a framework which shall be agreed between the universities and An tÚdarás. | ||
(b) A corporation referred to in section 13 (2)(c) may pay to employees of a university remuneration, fees, allowances and expenses only in accordance with a framework which shall be agreed between the universities and An tÚdarás. | ||
(6) A university may suspend or dismiss any employee but only in accordance with procedures, and subject to any conditions, specified in a statute made following consultation through normal industrial relations structures operating in the university with recognised staff associations or trade unions, which procedures or conditions may provide for the delegation of powers relating to suspension or dismissal to the chief officer and shall provide for the tenure of officers. | ||
(7) A university or the National University of Ireland shall determine the terms and conditions of any superannuation scheme for its employees in accordance with the Fifth Schedule and that Schedule shall apply to an amendment to an existing scheme in the same way as it applies to a new scheme. | ||
(8) For the removal of doubt, it is hereby declared that— | ||
(a) the rights and entitlement in respect of tenure, remuneration, fees, allowances, expenses and superannuation enjoyed on the commencement of this section by persons who are employees, and in the case of superannuation, former employees, of a university to which this Act applies shall not, by virtue of the operation of this Act, be any less beneficial than those rights and entitlements enjoyed by those persons as employees of the university or corresponding constituent college or Recognised College immediately before that commencement, and | ||
(b) the conditions of service, restrictions and obligations to which such persons were subject immediately before the commencement of this Act shall, unless they are varied by agreement, continue to apply to such persons and shall be exercised or imposed by the university or the chief officer as may be appropriate, while such persons are employed by the university. |