NUACHTÁIN SAOR IN AISCE VOL.18 Issue 08. 24 JAN 2017
Student Independent News
Protest held against abolishing Irish requirement for NUI Galway President By Sorcha O’Connor A protest organised by Misneach na Gaillimhe took place at the Quadrangle on Wednesday 11 January against the decision to no longer have fluency in the Irish language as a requirement for the Presidential post at the university. This decision came late last semester when, according to The Irish Times, members of Údarás na hOllscoile voted to remove the
Student Independent News spoke with NUI Galway Students’ Union Irish Officer Clíodhna Nic Giolla Chomháill after the protest. Nic Giolla Chomháill believed the protest was paramount to conveying the message that the decision was one that not all students and staff were satisfied with. “The reason we came out, was, as a bilingual university, we felt it was a terrible decision. It was a shock to us all, and while there
Photo: Seán Ó Mainnín/Tuairisc.ie requirement as it was felt it limited the pool of candidates for the role. This however was not a unanimous decision and some members of Údarás na hOllscoile were also strongly against the move at the time of the decision.
was a process, and it wasn’t a decision taken lightly, it took students and some of the lecturers by surprise,” she said. “We were making sure to show we weren’t going to take it sitting down,” she said.
“There was people from all sorts there, lecturers and students from different faculties, so it was good to see the wide variety of people.” According to The Irish Times, some members of Údaras na hOllscoile said that there should be a commitment on the behalf of a new president to understanding the importance of the Irish language. This was a point reiterated by Nic Giolla Chomháill. “The reason we were out today was because we all think the President should have Irish – but, you do then have to ask yourself the question what is it to have Irish? Is it enough to have respect for the Irish language and to open official University events in Irish?” The University’s current policy on the role of Irish is to deal with in “an effective and realistic way, with the support of the relevant State agencies, to the totality of the needs – education, economic, developmental and cultural – of the Irish-speaking community as a living community, in the Gaeltacht and in the country at large”. Nic Giolla Chomháill, as a member of the Students’ Union who stand to protect the needs of all students on campus, said that the Students’ Union was against the decision.
“In the Constitution of the Students’ Union, our mission statement is “to represent its members and promote, defend and vindicate the rights of its members at all levels of society”,” explained Nic Giolla Chomháill. “As a Union we represent all of our members, among which are Irish speakers who are strongly opposed to this decision. As a Union we will stand by them and support them.” Nic Giolla Chomháill said she had been attracted to attend the University for its long-standing relationship with the Irish language; NUI Galway is a bilingual university in a bilingual city. “I’m from Tyrone and I came to Galway because it was a bilingual campus and had such a good reputation for the Irish language.” Students’ Union President Jimmy McGovern also pledged to continue the support of the Irish language on campus. “The promotion of the Irish language is very important to NUI Galway Students’ Union … Despite the decision taken by Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway Students’ Union will continue to promote the Irish language on campus and will continue to vindicate the rights of our Irish speaking members,” he said.
Minister Varadkar speaks to NUI Galway By Cathy Lee Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar addressed an audience in the ILAS building on Thursday 12 January, in NUI Galway. This lecture was the second of its kind, the first being delivered by President Michael D. Higgins in 2015 when the Institute of Lifecourse and Society building opened. The Minister spoke about the role of social welfare and protection in this country, providing a history of his department. That history is one stretching 70 years, which he explained has undergone significant change. Mr Varadkar is only the second Fine Gael TD to ever hold the office
of Social Protection. In September 2016, paternity leave was introduced and Mr Varadkar said that this progress “in many ways reflects the change in society and the changing role of men in parenting”. Pat Dolan is the director of the Institute and has highlighted the need to see the easing of austerity. President of the University, Dr Jim Browne, described Mr Varadkar as the most “fitting” person to give the talk, welcoming the Minister and guests. The President expressed his pride and gratitude of the work being undertaken within the Institute for Lifecourse and Society. Following Mr Varadkar’s speech, Dr Michelle Millar of the Institute
for Lifecourse and Society gave a response describing the role of academia and the relationship with policy making. She said that the ultimate goal of social inclusion is every citizen having full and active participation in society. Mr Varakar’s lecture detailed strategies for anti-poverty, aging, the unemployed, those with long term disabilities as well as protection for the self-employed who find themselves unemployed. Important challenges present themselves as Mr Varadkar said “we need to build up some headroom to prepare for aging”. “We also have overall responsibility for the employment activation
service, getting people from welfare into work”. “Welfare should be a safety net, not a way of life” was the message of Veradkar’s speech, excluding those with long term disabilities. He detailed how there is a low rate of employed disabled people in Ireland with change in focus needed to how people can contribute and not what they cannot do. The highest proportion of the budget goes on social welfare, “57% of our budget goes on pensions and payments to children, child benefit,” said Mr Varadkar. He explained that his “Really is a department that impacts on households and on the life course in perhaps a way that no other does”.
Sláinte Society welcomes children to 12th annual Teddy Bear Hospital By Aisling Bonner On 19 and 20 January children from twenty-five local primary schools flocked to NUI Galway’s 12th annual Teddy Bear Hospital with over a thousand sick teddies in tow. The event is organised each year by NUI Galway’s Sláinte Society, the university’s branch of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations. The society recruited a team of over 200 medical and science students armed with ‘pawscriptions’ to volunteer to diagnose and cure the sick teddies on the day. Each year, the aim of the Teddy Bear Hospital is to help young children feel more comfortable around doctors and familiarise them with hospitallike settings. According to the society’s co-audior Sally Cahill, the demand to attend the event has risen significantly over the years with over 1,300 children attending this year. Speaking to SIN before the event, Cahill explained the organisation process behind the society’s biggest event of the year. She said, “Since September, the committee have worked tirelessly to arrange sponsorship for the event, organise a timetable for schools and liaise with the Societies Office to ensure every fine detail is covered. “We are so grateful to the
200 volunteers who will assist us in treating the sick teddies of Galway this week and hope that they enjoy the event as much as we have in the past”. Children and their sick teddies were greeted at the ‘waiting room’ where they were entertained by jugglers and face painters before meeting their medical team. Special teddy x-rays and MRI machines were available to teddies in need along with a host of medical supplies sponsored by Matt O’Flaherty Chemist. A fully-equipped on-site Teddy Bear Pharmacy stocked with fruit from Burke’s Fruit and Veg and Fyffes also provided aid to the teddies and their owners. The two-day event also invited the staff of NUI Galway to bring their children ranging from 3 to 8 years old to the Bailey Allen Hall to take part. NUI Galway Societies Officer Ríona Hughes offered her congratulations to Sláinte Society on their 12th successful year. She said, “The Teddy Bear Hospital is a magical opportunity for the society to invite the children and their teddies to campus and provide a valuable learning experience for all. “It is one of the NUI Galway societies’ most colourful and endearing community outreach programmes and we are thrilled with its success”.