In 1999, the Labour Court recommended that University College Galway and the Irish Medical Organisation resume negotiations over a medical qualification allowance for 11 full-time academic teaching staff. The recommendation was signed on 22 December 1999. The union said medically qualified teachers were needed to train medical students and sought the allowance from 1987. The college said the qualification was desirable but not required. The Court said the parties had not made a sufficiently serious attempt to resolve the dispute and said it could be referred back if no resolution was reached by 31 March 2000.