The President of Trinity SU and the Students’ Union of Dun Laoghaire Institute Art, buy viagra Design and Technology have proposed referenda on their continued association with the USI.
IADTSU President David Edwards has told the College Tribune that the reason for his Union’s proposed referendum is due to the new USI constitution (which UCDSU President Pat de Brún and Campaigns & Communications officer Brendan Lacey helped to write), sildenafil which Edwards argues “makes a new USI, one that we did not vote to be a part of”. The issue was brought to the IADT Student Council which decided that there should be a referendum on IADTSU’s continued affiliation with USI.
Trinity SU President Ryan Bartlett has cited Trinity students’ lack of support for the Stop Fees campaign last year as a major reason for proposing the referendum. A petition will need to be brought to the Union for the referendum to be called. David Edwards (IADT) has stated that, while “we weren’t pleased with how the Stop Fees campaign went this has had no bearing on our decision to hold the referendum. It may well affect people’s vote in the referendum, but this is not for me to say”.
If the referenda are passed Trinity SU will save €111,000 from its membership fee, while IADTSU will save approximately €14,000. IADTSU President David Edwards has stated that IADTSU will put this money towards professional lobbying and local campaigns, while Trinity SU will fund national campaigns with the savings.
When the College Tribune asked Brendan Lacey whether the funds that UCDSU contributes towards USI on a yearly basis could be put to better use on national campaigns focusing on UCD’s interests, Lacey responded that “the interests of students on national issues such as fees, equality, and education standards ARE issues in the interests of UCD”.
Lacey has stated that a referendum should be called on UCD’s continued affiliation with the USI; “The only reason I could see for not calling one this year is that there is currently planned a referendum for the new constitution alongside the sabbatical elections and a policy referendum on fees is being called for the executive elections. It’s important not to overload [students] with referenda to such a point that people aren’t informed on what they are voting on”.
If passed, the new UCD constitution will ensure that UCD will hold a referendum on their affiliation with the USI every four years.
Bartlett (Trinity SU) has spoken with the Presidents of the DCU and UL students’ Unions, which have both been disaffiliated with the USI for a number of years, however Edwards (IADTSU) has stated that although he is unaware of any plans for a rival national students’ union, he would see little point in it; “Any large scale unions have the same problems, and bring about the same solutions, so having a rival one would achieve very little”.
In contrast Brendan Lacey has stated that “were Trinity and UCD to disaffiliate there would be potential that USI could collapse, however we will still need national representation … Were everyone to leave USI we would surely need to set up a new national organisation”.
Shane Scott
