Galway Bay fm newsroom – The former president of GMIT, Dr. Fergal Barry, was engaged in a lengthy dispute with the governing body of the college before his resignation.

Dr. Barry resigned in May after an extended period on leave, but no reason was given for his departure.

According to the Sunday Business Post, records of correspondence show that a conflict between Dr. Barry and the governing body was ongoing for almost a year before his resignation.

Solicitors acting on his behalf wrote to a range of stakeholders on numerous occasions between June 2018 and April of this year.

The extensive correspondence included the chairman of GMIT as well as various offices at the Department of Education.

Dr. Barry’s concerns related to governance issues, including the selection process for appointments.

The Sunday Business Post reports that in August 2018, the secretary of then Education Minister Richard Bruton was advised of a dispute between the president of GMIT and its governing body.

In January of this year, the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority was further advised of ‘governance issues’ at GMIT.

In early May, Dr. Fergal Barry sent his letter of resignation to the Education Minister after an extended period of leave.

Previously, GMIT has rejected claims that the two presidents preceding Dr. Barry had resigned sooner than expected.