UCD Students’ Union calls on college to investigate Prof Dolores Cahill

University College Dublin’s (UCD) Students’ Union is calling on the university to investigate Professor Dolores Cahill for “gross misconduct”.

President of the students’ union, Conor Anderson says that “Dolores Cahill has been propagating medically-inaccurate conspiracy theories” and she gained a following of people who “do not realise she is not an expert in virology, epidemiology or public health.”

Anderson says he has written to “the head of the UCD School of Medicine and the head of UCD Human Resources to request that Prof. Cahill be investigated under Statute 28 of the Universities Act 1997.

“This statute defines gross misconduct, in part, as “deliberate disregard for health and safety precautions likely to endanger another person.”

Anderson says that Cahill’s “continued rhetoric,” is “putting the lives of ordinary people in danger, all while using her role in UCD, I believe this warrants investigation by the University.”

Cahill, who is a Professor at the School of Medicine, is no longer lecturing.

A spokesperson from UCD said that “Prof Dolores Cahill is not scheduled to teach or co-ordinate modules this trimester.”

Cahill used to teach a first-year class, called Science, Medicine and Society.

Anderson says that “Cahill is using her role in UCD to position herself as an expert voice to the anti-mask, anti-lockdown far right.

“Many people have justifiably been duped into believing that Cahill is an expert in the field due to her links to the UCD School of Medicine and they therefore believe her position warrants listening to.

“It is of the upmost importance that we as a University explain to the public that Prof. Cahill has no expertise in the area of public health or virology, and we do have qualified experts in this area in UCD.

“If you require accurate scientific information on viruses, please listen to Professors in the National Virus Reference Laboratory or the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases.

“Dolores Cahill does not have the expertise to inform you on Covid-19 and is merely telling you her political ideas and none of it is based on scientific research by the UCD School of Medicine,” he says.