Two of the Seanad bye election candidates who are Trinity postgraduates have criticised the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) for endorsing Gisèle Scanlon without seeking members’ approval.
The GSU did not consult members about which candidate, if any, it should back in the bye election, and the three candidates who are ordinary GSU members have said they were not approached by the executive.
The GSU is not constitutionally obliged to remain neutral in external political campaigns. The constitution does not prohibit the union from endorsing political candidates.
In an email statement to The University Times, PhD student Ryan Alberto Ó Giobúin said the GSU “has openly endorsed and is using its communication mediums to campaign on behalf of one candidate alone without asking the membership”.
Ó Giobúin said that while he did not believe that the GSU president should be forbidden from running for national office, “it is important to wear two hats in such a situation, and not use one official role to provide a personal advantage in another”.
“If there was a plebiscite and the GSU was mandated to endorse Scanlon, I would not have a problem with that either. But the general membership was not asked.”
He added: “This was an executive decision to endorse the head of the executive. For me, this makes it very clear that two hats are not being worn.”
@GoddessGuide and the GSU are asking for your support as our president is running for the #Seanad bye-elections. With your help, you will make sure a strong and independent voice is representing you ?https://t.co/IzlB6xmGhI
You can learn more on this link. #byeelections2022— Trinity GSU (@TrinityGSU) March 2, 2022
GSU Communications Officer Justine Lortal did not respond to questions from The University Times on the procedure taken to endorse Scanlon or the criticism levelled by two of the graduate student candidates.
PhD student and satirical candidate Michael McDermott told this newspaper: I’ve had no contact from the GSU regarding the election, though tbf [to be fair] I never really reached out in the first place and this is genuinely the first I’ve heard that they officially endorsed their own president but it doesn’t surprise me.”
“They probably should have held an EGM but, given how the last one went, executive order was probably the most efficient way of going about it … But what are they gonna do? Call for impeachment again?”
What I love the most about this is that, in the back of their minds, they knew it was probably bad form to endorse their own president without consulting their members.
But that wasn’t corrupt enough so they literally asked for fucking money. https://t.co/CU4T0GCM9q
— Michael McDermott (Abolish the Seanad from within) (@GlassHalfArsed) March 24, 2022
Ursula Quill, a PhD student in the School of Law, declined to comment to The University Times, but confirmed that the GSU had not made contact with regards to the election.
Scanlon did not respond to a request for comment.
The union wrote on Twitter at the beginning of March asking for graduates to support Scanlon to ensure “a strong and independent voice is representing you”.
The tweet included a link to a fundraising page for Scanlon’s campaign.
On the fundraising page, Scanlon said: “I am placing myself before the electorate of the Trinity alumni. I believe that Trinity College needs a strong independent, strong voice with courage and vision in the Seanad.”
“I am writing to ask for your help, as independent candidates like myself have to fund our whole campaign ourselves and through the kindness of strangers and friends.”
“It has been a privilege to serve as a strong representative voice within Trinity College over the last five years, from student officer through to President of the Graduate Students’ Union. As a fearless independent voice with a track record on equality and inclusion, I have always fought to protect the most vulnerable both within Trinity and beyond its gates. If elected, I will continue to champion crucial issues like quality employment, affordable housing and childcare for everyone in society.”
A number of other candidates have launched fundraising pages. As of last week, the page has raised €1,577 with a goal of €8,500.
In an interview with The University Times, Scanlon said she has put in “over 2,000 hours, unpaid and paid”, to the GSU.
Scanlon believes that she has contributed to “thousands” of decisions in that time: “I brought change. Sometimes bringing change is tough because there’s resistance to change. I think that I can bring that out of Trinity and up to the Seanad to make life better for society.”
The author and three-time master’s student is running once again on her I-CARE platform: innovation, community, accessibility, research and equality.
This is Scanlon’s third year as a GSU sabbatical officer. She also served as vice president prior to her first term as president.
Ballot papers for the election, which can be returned by post, were sent to registered graduates last week. Voting closes on March 30th.
Correction: 01.14pm, March 26th, 2022
Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated how much money Gisèle Scanlon’s GoFundMe page has raised for her election campaign. As of March 26th, it has raised €1,577.
