Students from Dublin City University (DCU) voted overwhelmingly today to keep Dublin City University Students’ Union (DCUSU) affiliated with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), with 94 per cent of voters voting in favour of the union’s current position.
DCU has traditionally only had a small turnout in referenda, and this referendum was no different. The total vote was 2,304, with 2,176 students voting to remain in USI.
Quorum for the referendum was 1,560. The referendum was held over two days, between December 1st and 2nd.
In a press statement, USI President, Annie Hoey, thanked the team who had campaigned in favour of maintaining the links with USI. “The results show that USI and the work of the national student movement is being recognised by students”, she said.
“We are delighted that DCU students voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining affiliated to USI. We look forward to continuing our work representing DCU students on a national level”, she added.
DCUSU re-affiliated with USI after a referendum in February 2014, having left USI in 2002. This re-affiliation referendum carried by just a single vote, with 726 yes votes to re-affiliate edging-out the 725 no votes against re-affiliation.
The 2014 referendum followed another held in the previous academic year, which returned a vote in favour of re-affiliation by 55 per cent. Then-DCUSU President, Paul Doherty, declared the referendum “null and void” after the union’s executive failed to hold an information campaign or promote the campaign as it was constitutionally mandated to do.
“DCUSU are better being a part of USI, but USI are stronger with DCUSU in it. With the campaign for a student teacher stipend coming in 2017 and the campaign against income-contingent loans raging on the power and effort from DCUSU will be key”, Hoey said.
Dominic McGrath contributed reporting to his piece.
