Galway University has been told to introduce mandatory gender quotas to increase the number of female academics in senior posts.

The recommendation is part of an equality taskforce set up in the wake of a landmark discrimination case against NUI Galway.

Half of all the lecturer posts at the university are currently held by women, but less than third of senior lecturers are female, while only 10% make it to associate professor level.

Professor Jane Grimson, head of the equality taskforce, denied that the move is simply a PR exercise.

“I don’t see it that way,” she said.

“We were set up as an independent task force and have absolutely operated in an independent way.

“We’ve gone about our work without any interference or anything from the university and we’re making our recommendations.

“Of course, it’s up to the university then to implement them.”