The fourth Council of the 2024/25 academic year began quite slowly, but several motions introduced later on in the night caused conflict amidst Union members.
Sabbatical officers began by reading reports. Three officers –Education Officer Eoghan Gilroy, Welfare Officer Hamza Bana and Ents Officer Peadar Walsh– did not submit reports before the beginning of Council, and so had to read their full reports during Council time.
Peadar Walsh shared his plans to establish a Ticketmaster platform for resale of TBall tickets to avoid private resellers raising prices. Council was assured that “no one’s gonna get scammed for a TBall ticket”.
Motions to create information campaigns for dissemination between the Postgraduate Workers Organisation (PWO) and TCDSU, to lobby for dental services to be provided by College and to speed up payments for PhD students by Academic Registry passed easily.
A motion to mandate the Union –particularly the Class Representatives in the Business School and the Business School Convenor– to lobby for the Jolt Café in the Trinity Business School (TBS) to open as a student space sparked heavy debate amongst the crowd. The Jolt Café, located in the basement of TBS, is a fully-fitted space with seating that is currently unavailable to students. The motion referenced lobbying for a kettle and a microwave to be added to the space.
TCDSU Education Officer Eoghan Gilroy spoke against the motion.
“I think that more student spaces are necessary – especially for students who don’t have access to a big fancy building like the business school,” Gilroy said. “I think it’s a waste of resources, and better directed elsewhere.”
TCDSU President Jenny Maguire spoke in favour of the motion, citing that the Union has “gone to every other area of the university [to audit student spaces], and admittedly not the business school. The business school is fantastic for bringing in external speakers and external companies, but in terms of actual student space, it’s quite hit or miss.”
Several other students questioned the motion, including one who claimed that “the film school has no cameras” and argued that more resources should be allocated to the creative arts.
After several minutes of debate and two amendments made to the motion, the motion was passed.
TCDSU Communication and Marketing Officer Beth Strahan proposed a motion concerning the SU’s Ethical Sponsorship Policy. This follows last year’s cutting of ties between the SU and long-time sponsor Domino’s.
Beth argued that SU sponsorships “should align with student values morally and ethically”.
When asked about how TCDSU would determine the ethical threshold, it was stated that the aims and values as stipulated under the constitution would be the guide. In reference to this week’s referendum Eoghan Gilroy went on to add that “Obviously how we interpret [the constitution’s ethical values] is up for debate at the moment”.
One Class Representative questioned TCDSU’s involvement in sponsorships in the first place, to which Eoghan Gilroy responded that this comment was “ignoring the reality of the situation we’re in. We [the Union] absolutely require sponsorship. This [mandate] will allow us and ensure year on year that the sponsorships we do accept are absolutely in line with the values of the Student Union”.
The motion was ultimately carried.
TCDSU Oifigeach na Gaeilge Pádraig Mac Brádaigh proposed a motion to create an Irish Language Ents Officer within the Union, which passed. The motion will allow for an Irish Language Officer to work officially within the Ents committee and ensure language accessibility at all Ents events moving forward, as well as prioritising the creation of Irish-first events regularly throughout the year.
This Council saw the nomination of Lorenzo Cheasty as Housing Rights Officer, whose role will be to “advocate for housing rights, not just for students but on a broader scale” as explained by TCDSU President Jenny Maguire.
