Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) tonight voted to impeach its Student Parent Officer Marian Lovett, after the union’s Oversight Commission found that she had missed three meetings of Union Forum without sending apologies for her absence.
Secretary to Council Cian Walsh said that “sufficient and significant attempts” were made to contact the officer but she did not respond.
“Our findings were that no apology was given”, Walsh said. “No noticeable attempt has been made” to carry out the duties of the role, he added.
“The majority of student parent concerns are still being addressed, to be fair”, he added. “They’re being addressed by other officers … it’s putting additional pressures on them.”
Walsh noted that “there could be a myriad of valid, personal reasons” why the Student Parent Officer was unable to carry out her mandate.
Lovett did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
TCDSU Welfare Officer Leah Keogh added: “For the record, I fought tooth and nail for us not to get to this position”.
After the Oversight Commission recommended that Council vote to impeach Lovett under Motion J of the TCDSU constitution. The motion was proposed by the union’s president Eoin Hand and was seconded by communications officer Philly Holmes.
Last year, Lovett’s predecessor, Leah Freeman, was impeached from the role. The Oversight Commission told Council that Freeman had failed to submit her officer report and was failing to respond to emails.
Members of union bodies are allowed to miss meetings if they send apologies in advance. Members who miss three meetings without apologies are contacted by the Secretary.
The Secretary informs them that they may be deemed resigned from their position unless they provide “acceptable” excuses for missing the meetings. They must also inform them that convenors, part-time officers and sabbatical officers “will not be deemed resigned from their office”, but the Secretary informs the Oversight Commission, which then investigates.
