Comhairle for 2024/25 started slowly, but things soon heated up.
A motion for the creation of a part time commuter officer was proposed by President-elect Sean Thim O’Leary as they had promised during their campaign. They shared their own experience of commuting two hours a day to college, and how this affected their ability to participate in college life.
Volunteer Forum Coordinator, David Treacy, spoke against the motion, raising concerns that the mandate could be covered by the Housing or Environment Officer instead. Many questions were raised regarding the overlap in responsibilities with other part-time officers, the lack of definition of commuter or what the role would entail. The chair ordered a stop to questions and voting commenced. The motion narrowly passed.
Jovan Jeromela brought a powerful motion supporting Serbian Student Protests. After the collapse of a train station killed fifteen people, protests were sparked for democracy and against government corruption. TCDSU President Jenny Maguire spoke in favour of the motion, mentioning it was important to show global solidarity, especially as these protests were not widely covered in the media. The vote carried easily with almost unanimous support.
Part-Time Environmental Officer Sam Brooks brought a motion campaigning against single-use plastics. Concerns were raised about placing the onus on students to combat systemic environmental issues. A class representative spoke passionately in favour, sharing her experience during Erasmus in Germany where these policies have been enacted since 2003 nationwide. Brooks added that it was a small step but one which was proven to work. The vote passed.
“The biggest existential issue that students are facing” Part-Time housing officer, Lorenzo Cheasty said in relation to the cost of living crisis. His motion on fair rent prices built on the recent Union campaign to get College to confirm a rent freeze. One comhairle member raised the concern of the successive rent freezes posing a tangible risk to College, however the President assured that Trinity College makes more money year on year from tourism and losses should be incurred from services that were never intended to make a profit. The motion was carried almost unanimously.
Finally, Business School Convenor, Patrick Keegan, brought forward an emergency motion. It had been discovered that the Azrieli Foundation, a philanthropic organisation which claims to their mission is to “improve the lives of present and future generations through Education, Research, Healthcare and the Arts” was advertising fellowships for PhD students to conduct research in Israel. The foundation has been accused of operating illegally in the West Bank Settlement and has been linked to IDF funding. Keegan urged the Union to condemn the promotion of these fellowships, arguing that this went against the College’s mandate to divest from Israeli Apartheid. The motion passed unanimously.
