Sinéad Loftus | Senior Staff Writer
Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union President, Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne, has stated that he is “optimistic” that a number of “improvements” have been made to the original proposed student charges plan. The original proposal included six measures that were specifically targeted at students and were due to raise approximately €800,000 a year.
One such measure was the introduction of a flat fee of €250 for students sitting supplemental exams which would, on its own, amount to an estimated €419,750. Initial opposition to the proposed charges criticised the lack of a system of means-testing, and that there was already a fee of €382 for supplemental exams. TCDSU representatives also expressed concern over the ethos according to which these charges have been proposed.
Speaking to The University Times, McGlacken-Byrne expressed confidence over a proposal to be brought forward to the Finance Committee on March 12th.
He stated that it would contain “a robust means-testing waiver mechanism similar to that applied to the sports centre levy” and would not include the proposed supplemental exam fee. He acknowledged that whilst the revised measures would be “only be half as bad” as the original plan, they are not strategically wise, calling them “opportunistic” and “a sorry development in our institution’s attempts to live up to the meaning of our student-focused mission statement”.
Whilst a projected figure to be raised from the modified proposal could not be estimated, McGlacken-Byrne presumed that it would “very likely” be half the original income, or less. This would amount to around €400,000 per academic year.
Despite these “improvements”, he is hopeful that the Board will reject the student charges entirely and that he would persuade its members to do so, stating that a motion would be brought forward to TCDSU’s council about how best to do this. However, he noted that these revised measures are the best of what TCDSU and the GSU can achieve in terms of what they can bring to the board on March 25th.
He also stated that it was crucial to note that “a large portion of time, effort, and frustration” had gone into this process, and that “students and staff agree on far more than we disagree on.”
He continued: “We have spent months bickering over sums of money that, though they will constitute a drop in the ocean for the sector’s financial hole, will mean a great deal to many students from whom it will be taken”.
The referendum on the proposed student charges, which took place during the sabbatical officer elections, was passed, with 80 per cent of students voting to oppose their introduction.
Photo by Eavan McLoughlin for The University Times
