Dublin University Central Athletic Club (DUCAC) has faced months-long delays in submitting its accounts to the capitation committee.
DUCAC is the only one of Trinity’s five capitated bodies to have failed to submit their accounts on time. The accounts are meant to be presented to the capitation committee on November 19th.
Speaking to The University Times, DUCAC Chair Jemil Saidi cited logistical difficulties in explaining the delay in accessing accounts for the Pavilion Bar (the Pav).
“The Pavilion Bar hasn’t actually been able to open up and a lot of the account details and documents for the Pavilion accounts are in the Pav. So obviously we’ve had restricted access to campus”, Saidi said.
Saidi outlined further difficulties in accessing the Pav amid travel restrictions with their accountant based outside Dublin.
DUCAC’s accounts are a consolidation of the Pav and Trinity’s 50 sports clubs. Both are needed for an overall financial assessment of DUCAC. It is understood that the Pav’s accounts are the cause for the delay while the sports clubs accounts are ready.
The accounts, which have since been retrieved from the Pav, are currently still under audit and therefore not yet ready to be submitted to the capitation committee. Saidi could not provide an estimate of when the audit might be completed.
The capitation committee, which has been made aware of the situation, is in “good standing” with DUCAC over the matter, according to Saidi.
“It is an unfortunate position for us to be in”, Saidi said. “We had hoped we’d have them for the capitation committee by now but obviously with everything going on it’s just been a delay.”
In an email statement to The University Times, the Senior Dean John Parnell said that: “The Capitation Committee were sympathetic at the time, but expect prompt delivery early this year of the audited accounts.”
Saidi did express hope that the accounts would be ready by the time the Capitation Committee next meets at the end of February or early March.
Meanwhile, Saidi described DUCAC’s finances as “healthy”, explaining how, given lockdown restrictions, expenses for clubs have been minimal while DUCAC’s revenue stream from the capitation installment is expected to remain similar to previous years.
“If you take the snow sports trip as an example, that’s a huge cost. So obviously without club activities going on clubs aren’t spending money”, Saidi explained. “Money isn’t being spent out, or if it is, it is very limited compared to previous years spent. So I would say we are in a very healthy position spend-wise.”
DUCAC also receives up to 35 per cent of the Pav’s annual profits – a revenue stream that is significantly diminished at present due to the bar’s closure since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
At the end of the last academic year, DUCAC received from College a capitation installment of €316,000 from capitation and club subscriptions – a significant decrease from the previous year.
DUCAC is one of College’s five capitated bodies along with Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union, the Central Societies Committee, the Graduate Students’ Union and Trinity Publications. DUCAC, the largest of the five, is in charge of the finances for all 50 of Trinity’s sports clubs.
Correction: 12.33pm, February 3rd, 2021
An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the Senior Dean as Aidan Marsh. In fact, the Senior Dean’s name is John Parnell.
