Students’ union offered fair redundancy deal to staff

AS president of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), I feel I must respond to the letter concerning our staff redundancies from Rory Hearne as it is a gross misinterpretation of the facts and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the real issues affecting students (Irish Examiner letters, August 21).

TCDSU takes its workers’ rights very seriously. To say otherwise is simply untrue.

Is Mr Hearne aware of the fair packages all the staff concerned have been offered?

Indeed, it seems he is blinded by an anti-business stance which is, quite frankly, irrelevant to this issue.

While Mr Hearne notes that students’ unions were formed on many principles, including democracy, he fails really to understand what democracy is and its all-important decision-making process.

In a democracy, decisions must inevitably be made.

Last year, I and the other sabbatical officers were democratically elected by the students.

When we put ourselves forward on this public platform we were, of course, aware that difficult decisions would be inevitable.

It would be easy not to make any at all, but we had to act in a concerted effort to represent the broader student community who need the support of their union at all times.

Decisions cannot be blocked through a non-decision making process. This, in fact, would be undemocratic.

By casually referring to issues relating to the grant and student fees, Mr Hearne is distracting from the real issue of redundancies and student democracy.

Indeed it was only on this very day (August 22) that I was involved in a campaign in relation to the vital student grant issue.

Mr Hearne’s letter, which refers to ‘international solidarity’, would lead an innocent observer to wonder if he is really concerned with student affairs or just sensationalising this issue in an attempt to promote international socialism?

While he points out that he is a former president of TCDSU and former deputy president of the Union of Students of Ireland, he fails to acknowledge that he is a member of the Socialist Workers’ Party.

When I was elected TCDSU president, the slogan on my manifesto was ‘Action, not politics’.

I am determined to follow this through to the end and not allow TCDSU to become bogged down in political ideologies.

Real issues such as empowerment and inclusion of the wider student population must be to the fore if we are to be truly democratic.

In a society currently experiencing rising rates of depression, especially among young people, we must try to embrace and represent students from grassroots level to ensure nobody is excluded.

I will endeavour to make Trinity such an inclusive community.

David Quinn

Students’ Union President

Trinity College

Dublin 2