College Tribune | 3rd March 2009
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Election
Donnacha O’Suilleabhain His Manifesto: I spent the last year working in the USI and the UCDSU so I have a real grasp of the fees issue both on a national and local level. On a local level we could also work on registration fee as that’s a college decided issue. What’s important to me is that there’s a good standard of degree coming out of UCD. What criticisms do you have for last year’s candidate?
Manifesto: I’m passionate about the abolition of any talk of fees. Library cuts are the next thing; cutting funding from the library which is such an essential tool to students isn’t really acceptable. Also, the hackdom in the union is really something I don’t like. I want to introduce a stage X co-ordinator which would be a member of staff in each faculty trained to help students who fail; emailing them directly and telling them what their options are
or just offering to be there if a chat is needed.
He could probably publicise himself a bit more. I don’t think there’s been much publicity from the education office.
What traits make you more suitable than the other candidates? I’m very approachable and I’m extremely experienced and always level headed. I don’t sweat the small stuff; I’m well practiced in what I do and think that I’m relatively eloquent and can express my points. A fault of my own is that I’m very bad at leaving the office; I’m happy to stay in late.
Our survey shows an increasing apathy towards the Students’ Union. How do you plan to remedy this? I think it’s a result of the lack of publicity; you have to make sure that people know what you achieve as a Students’ Union.
BenManifesto: I am a member of Free Education for Everyone and I think on so many levels the SU has failed. There should have been a massive awareness campaign at the start of the year to let people know there was a definite chance fees were coming back. Secondly, the major point is cutbacks; the library has been threatened so many times this year, hours reduced and fines. How do you plan to make these details
What criticisms do you have for the Education Officer, Paul Lynam? I understand there has to be certain level of negotiation with the Governing Authorities on campus and there has to be a certain level of knowledge of what will get the best deal for students. I’m not sure however if Paul has had the backing of students when he does it. One or two motions that he’s made have
resulted in an outcry at council. He understood the aspect of what would happen at the Governing Authority and yet students were still saying they didn’t want this. Is there and exorbitant waste of money in the SU? Things like Class Rep training could do with a review. I went, and really enjoyed it, but instead of what was like the lap of luxury living four to a house, we could have bunked it up in hostels.
There should be a review of spending. Should SU officers be paid? I think anyone running now would be a bit stupid not to take a pay cut considering the economic climate. No one needs 400 euro a week.
Probably Gary Redmond; I’ve worked with him already and I know him as a nice guy whose extremely good at his job. I have faith in him and have seen him at national council and believe in him. Should SU officers be paid?
I do think they should be paid; I’ve worked in 2 part What president would time positions and feel I you work best with? could have done a better job work? The fees is simple, we need a mass mobilistation of students; I would get awareness out there and get people involved in the union and hold months of meetings around the campuses and let them know seriously that this will affect them. What criticisms do you have for Paul Lynam? Paul has done a lot on the ground but we all knew the major issue this year would be fees. As education officer
he should have brought in a greater campaign ad put more stress on it. He did campaign last year to allow students to see the exam timetable before they chose their modules and I didn’t hear anything of it since. If fees were wiped off the agenda, what will your main focus be? A long time thorn in my side is the campus bookshop. Prices are ridiculous; I’ve seen some books which are a 15% percent markup of the
high street value not even the wholesale value. Students aren’t made of money. I would also encourage a boycott campaign of the campus bookshop to show them that we are serious about them dropping their prices. I would make sure students know what the council is planning to pass and all possible expenditure. What president would you work best with? Julian Brophy as he is also in FEE.
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