UCD Student’s Union (UCDSU) has published the Minutes from an Emergency Executive meeting held on the 24th of October. This followed a larger executive meeting the previous evening, in which the Executive approved for three Sabbatical Officers to take annual leave to campaign for the impeachment of UCDSU President Katie Ascough.
The meeting on the 24th was attended by the four remaining Sabbatical Officers, as Ascough had already taken annual leave to campaign against her potential impeachment in a referendum. It was also attended by Rosaleen Aljohmani and Criomhthann Morrison, the two College Officer of Arts, Human Sciences & Celtic Studies, and Erin Crowley, the Irish Language Officer.
Barry Murphy, Campaigns and Communications Officer, explained that the Returning Officer had been approached over the weekend about some of the Officers taking annual leave to campaign in the referendum. The Returning Officer replied to him, and was ‘very accommodating.’ Murphy noted that in ‘Katie’s case we were asked the day before her annual leave to accept the leave, the executive passed this and leave was permitted.’
Three of the Officers wanted to take annual leave to campaign for her impeachment, but were rejected by the Independent Appeals and Disciplinary Board. Murphy stated ‘we have lodged an appeal to IADB in relation to the retuning officer’s decision to deny the annual leave. We are appealing based on the fact that Katie was given the same opportunity to campaign and take leave with the same notice being given, both sides in our minds should be treated equally in this regard. We acquire the approval of the executive to appeal the decision to the IADB.’
Niall Torris, the Graduate Education Officer, asked ‘can we vote on whether or not to support the executive to appeal the decision of the returning officer.’ The vote passed unanimously.
Murphy then said that ‘if the annual leave isn’t approved we have taken the decision to apply for unpaid leave.’ Eoghan Mac Domhnaill, the Welfare Officer, then asked ‘have we execs approval to appeal to IADB to take unpaid leave?’ This also passed unanimously, then the meeting ended.
The Minutes are available here.
Cian Carton – Editor
