Dublin City University, as one of Ireland’s four universities of sanctuary, does vital work in offering scholarships each year to a number of asylum seekers. According to Dublin City University Students’ Union (DCUSU), however, Shepherd Machaya, a beneficiary of the scheme, has been issued with a deportation order and faces the prospect of a return to Zimbabwe – a country he fled nine years ago. That the initiative does not appear to have the power to effectively safeguard an asylum seeker’s right to complete a degree in Ireland would seem to be a fatal flaw.
For students, the benefits of Take Back Trinity’s resounding success in March were many and tangible. It is, however, now the benchmark against which other student campaigns are judged, and for Dublin Institute of Technology Students’ Union (DITSU) – currently protesting against cuts to student services – much work lies ahead as it attempts to mobilise students against the systemic, internal issues that have left students with reduced library hours and a paucity of lecturers. Dealing with disputes such as these should be the bread and butter of unions, but DITSU must redouble its efforts if it is to emulate Take Back Trinity’s successes.
The controversy surrounding the University Philosophical Society’s latest debate is yet another PR disaster for a society that has – to put it mildly – endured a rocky start to this year. The society landed itself in hot water once again when a speaker at its free speech debate opened with a number of offensive statements, including the n-word. Of course, the society has no control over what speakers say, but it’s unfortunate that the incident comes after recent accusations of sexism and racism. If bad press is to be avoided in the future, perhaps more prudence is warranted.
There were doubtless a few sighs of relief in House One this week, after An Bord Pleanála rejected Dublin City Council’s plans for a pedestrianised College Green. Trinity officials have in the past expressed serious concerns over proposals that would force the College to confront as many as 15,000 extra people strolling around just outside its gates. Fears of pressure on already struggling services, as well as flooding and the need for extra security, have been, at least temporarily, put to rest. Similarly, concerns about vehicular access to the humble abode of Trinity’s first citizen have been assuaged.
