Cllr Pearce Flannery has been elected to the NUI Galway governing authority.
Cllr Flannery, a graduate of the university, will represent the Galway City Council on the governing authority during the authority’s new five-year term which begins on January 31. He was elected at a city council meeting on Monday, replacing Cllr Peter Keane on the body.
Cllr Flannery was one of two candidates put forward for the position, with Cllr Catherine Connolly also proposed. Cllr Flannery received 11 votes at the meeting, with Cllr Connolly receiving seven.
Cllr Connolly congratulated Cllr Flannery on his election, but expressed her disappointment at the election of a man to the authority as the move did nothing to address the issue of gender balance in the university.
“Congratulations [to Cllr Flannery], and it’s nothing personal, but for a male member to be elected at a time when gender balance is paramount is unacceptable,” she said. “There is an uphill bttle for women to achieve gender representation. It’s not on a personal level whatsoever, I wish Cllr Flannery the best, but things have to change.”
