Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Welfare Officer Damien McClean is set to run for the position of Vice-President for Welfare of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
McClean will run for the position – which would see him represent over 370,000 students – on a platform of running consent campaigns and improving mental health support.
McClean, who studied mathematics in Trinity, was elected TCDSU Welfare Officer last year, beating four other candidates to secure the role. Before this, McClean served as Citizenship Officer and LGBT Rights Officer of the union. McClean is one of several people who oversaw the implementation of the union’s highly successful consent workshops, which were attended by over 90 per cent of students in Trinity Hall.
As a Trinity student, McClean was a global Student Ambassador with Trinity’s Global Room and a Peer Supporter with Student 2 Student (S2S). He was also a member of TCDSU’s Campaigns Committee.
The position of Vice-President for Welfare is one of 10 full-time positions on USI’s Officer Board, which also includes the President, Vice-President for Equality and Citizenship and Vice-President for Academic Affairs. The position of Vice-President for Welfare is currently held by Niamh Murtagh.
In a statement to The University Times, McClean said: “I want this role, because I know how important it is, and I am the best person to do the job. I realise that a slip up on my part could quite literally result in a student dropping out of their course and I am motivated to ensure that students have every possibility to excel in their education.”
“Welfare can create a community. All sabbatical officers support students but welfare is needed when students are at their most vulnerable. I want to support the welfare of students because a student without supports could directly result in them dropping out”, McClean added.
He also explained that he sees the role as giving a voice to lesser-heard people in colleges across the country, along with providing support for officers and colleges around the country, and overseeing campaigns.
In an email statement to The University Times, President of TCDSU Kevin Keane said that he “couldn’t be prouder of Damien’s decision to run”, adding that “I have no hesitation whatsoever in nominating him for the position, and look forward to casting my vote in his favour”.
The Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) Convener of TCDSU, Colm O’Halloran, also announced plans to run for Vice-President for the Dublin Region.
A final-year Irish studies student, O’Halloran has worked in the Accommodation Advisory Service for two years. In addition to this, O’Halloran served as Chair of the Electoral Commission in TCDSU Elections in 2016.
The role of Vice-President for the Dublin Region is currently held by Aisling Cusack.
In a press statement, O’Halloran described himself as “excited” and “confident”. If elected, he intends “to be an active USI representative on Dublin campuses”, focusing on the dual issues of engagement and student accomodation.
Keane described O’Halloran as “an excellent candidate for VP for the Dublin Region” who would “excel” in the role.
Elections for USI’s Officer Board take place annually at USI’s National Congress in April. TCDSU has 17 delegates at USI’s National Council, and at the union’s next council they will vote on which candidates to support.
While TCDSU officers have not traditionally served on USI’s Officer Board in the past, former Education Officer Jack Leahy held the role of Vice-President for Academic Affairs from 2015 to 2017, as well as the role of Deputy President for a year. Last year, former TCDSU President Kieran McNulty announced his intention to run for the role of Vice-President for Campaigns, but dropped out of the race in February.
