Following a meeting on Friday to try and fend off further strike action, Dublin's BIMM music college and its lecturers have issued a joint statement which reads as follows:

"BIMM Dublin and its lecturer community acknowledge the constructive discussions that have taken place in recent days and confirm that, following lecturer feedback, BIMM Dublin has outlined a revised direction for the consultation process. The discussions so far have been positive and productive, with progress being made, including:

* No roles will be made compulsorily redundant.

* 20 lecturers will be offered permanent, salaried positions.

* Most significantly, the remaining 33 lecturers will be offered the opportunity to remain on their current contracts with the same terms they currently enjoy.

* Both BIMM and the lecturers remain committed to ensuring that any agreed changes support academic excellence, enhance the student experience, and provide clarity and security for teaching staff.

"David Jones-Owen, CEO & Vice-Chancellor at BIMM University, said: 'We have listened to the concerns and questions raised and have today outlined proposed changes that we hope will help address them. Our lecturers are an incredibly important part of our community, acting as both teachers and mentors for our students. We remain committed to supporting them fully and now look forward to continuing discussions to find a resolution.”

"Joe Wall, who has been representing BIMM Dublin lecturers during this process, added: 'While some challenges remain, we are hopeful that ongoing discussions will lead to a resolution that works for everyone. It is expected that further discussions between BIMM and representatives will take place early next week.”

"To facilitate this continued engagement, the consultation process will be extended."

As previously reported on hotpress.com, lecturers had taken strike action over fears that as many as 35 permanent positions might be lost. They were joined outside BIMM's Liberties premises by members of the student body who'd circulated a petition supporting the lecturers. There were also words of solidarity from BIMM alumni Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital who all greatly benefitted from their time there.