A motion brought before UCDSU Council for the Welfare Officer to supply free pregnancy tests was passed last night. The motion which was proposed by 2nd Year Engineering class rep Daniel Cosgrave was brought before council so that any student who needed a pregnancy test could now get one for free from the SU.
Speaking to the Tribune Welfare Officer Eoghan Mac Domhaill said ‘I think it’s a good idea because we’re progressing the work that the Union is already doing, providing a service that is going to be really beneficial for students. We don’t expect students to take on the cost of contraception so why should be expecting students to take on the cost of seeing whether or not they’re pregnant?’
The SU will be ordering in pregnancy tests in the next day or two and they tests should be available from the SU by next week. To obtain one students simply go into the Welfare office and ask for one. Eoghan Mac Domhaill will also give students advice such as seeking your GP if the test is positive. Students can also go to Mac Domhaill to seek advice on pregnancy information.
In other news from council, a motion proposed by Stephen Crosby of UCD for Choice which would see the information that was removed from Winging It to be given to students in a pamphlet form was passed. The two page pamphlet will be designed by the Campaigns and Communications Officer with the cost coming from the SU publications budget or the budget for UCD for Choice.
Speaking at council Acting President Barry Murphy said ‘I welcome the motion and believe that the information should be provided for student’s welfare’. He also said that a focus group would be set up with a view to possibly expanding the information that had been originally provided in the Winging It handbook.
Another motion was passed by the SU which encourages people speaking at SU events and meetings to declare their preferred pronouns before speaking. The motion which was proposed by the Health Science Officer is an effort to make UCDSU more accepting and open to people who identify as non binary or people who do not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth.
Welfare Officer Eoghan Mac Domhaill also told council that a motion would be put forward at the next council for UCDSU to lobby the government for a second SAVI report.
Rachel O’Neill – Editor
