Letters sent to dozens of teachers and judges who were embroiled in the global cheating scandal have confirmed that their suspensions have now been lifted.
An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG) has dropped the suspensions amid fears it would be paralysed by legal costs.
Earlier this year, one dance judge who was accused of feis-fixing successfully took the CLRG to the High Court to lift her suspension. A solicitor acting for Amanda Hennigan, the Irish dancing judge who took the case, warned the CLRG to drop all other suspensions or face similar litigation.
In a letter sent to those facing disciplinary hearings, and seen by the Irish Independent, the disciplinary co-ordinator for the CLRG has confirmed that the suspensions imposed after the scandal broke have now been rescinded.
“As the newly appointed co-ordinator I will be liaising with you… to arrange for the scheduling of your hearing and I will endeavour to ensure that this occurs in as timely a manner as possible,” the letter said.
The scandal first became public last October. Allegations of cheating had been shared with the CLRG last summer, but it was not until the matter made it into the national and international media that the dance body took steps to suspend those accused of cheating.
It was promised that all those accused of rigging dance competitions would face disciplinary action, but eight months on this has not happened.
More than 40 people are accused of feis-fixing. It is understood there is growing anger among those accused of cheating, many of whom have been named online and shunned within the world of Irish dance. Some feel a small minority have been blamed for a practice that was reportedly endemic within the world of Irish dancing.
A CLRG spokesperson confirmed that all of those who have been accused of cheating “can officiate at CLRG competitions while the disciplinary process is ongoing”.
They said that the CLRG’s disciplinary co-ordinator “is currently serving books of evidence and scheduling hearing dates for those individuals facing a disciplinary hearing. An effort is being made to accommodate individuals located in different time zones”.
The spokesperson added: “All cases will be heard by an independent external disciplinary panel convened by the disciplinary co-ordinator. CLRG has developed an enhanced set of disciplinary procedures and practices that allow the external disciplinary panel to hear CLRG disciplinary cases, address the differing degrees of misconduct, account for the international spread of cases to be heard, and permit legal representation.”
