Trinity College students vote in favour of USI disaffiliation

By Donna on February 10, 2012 in News

Students who attended the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) disaffiliation debate in Trinity College (TCD) on Wednesday evening voted in favour of the motion to disaffiliate themselves from the union.

The debate which was co-hosted by TCD Student’s Union (TCDSU) and the University Philosophical Society was attended by 100 students. The proposed motion that “This House would Disaffiliate from the USI” was voted in favour for by 59 students, 32 opposed the motion and nine still remained undecided.

Convenor David Byrne led the debate against USI president Gary Redmond and said that the USI was not catering to the needs of TCD students. He questioned Redmond about the annual €77,000 of funding that was given to the USI and Byrne also criticised the USI’s stance of “no fees, never” instead of negotiating a grant scheme.

Redmond also faced criticism for the lack of communication from the USI to TCD on decisions to occupy government buildings in November of last year. Gary Redmond opposed Byrne’s argument saying that the “USI has fought to, and continues to fight to ensure equal rights”. Redmond outlined the structure of the USI and defended the decisions that were made without prior consultation with student bodies. He stated that the constitution had been quietly reformed to increase pay for USI sabbatical officers.

Redmond urged the crowd to consider the USI’s succesful campaigns including the introduction of contraception and tax exemption which allowed for the building of Trinity Halls. David Byrne responded to the latter point made that “It didn’t require much skill to get tax breaks for a building project during the Celtic Tiger.”

Calls for a referendum on TCD’s disaffiliation from the USI were raised after the debate and signatures were collected to petition for the referendum by students who attended.

Do you agree; do you think TCD, and your college, should disaffiliate themselves from the USI?

About Donna

Following a lengthy and consuming obsession with Micheal Bay’s 1998 epic, Armageddon, I believed myself destined to become an astronaut up until the healthy age of twenty. When the reality of calculus and the seemingly unspoken rule that all physicists have to wear brown hit me, I opted for a glamorous crash landing out of the field of astrophysics, and into the world of fashion journalism. With a penchant for all things 1950’s, and a love of Vogue, anything pretty, spotty and leopard print, I have a unique style that falls somewhere in the middle of a Bet Lynch and Edwina Monsoon impersonator. My fashion sense may also be influenced by knowingly bad taste in music, and the odd Taking Back Sunday tee does unashamedly decorate my floordrobe. While keeping you up to date with all things sartorial – high fashion, low fashion and the bits in the middle, I aim to deliver a blog with a difference. There will be no photos of me wearing belts I bought in Urban Outfitters. Instead, I shall aim to be the Penneys of your blogosphere – making fashion cheap, colourful and accessible to everyone.