October 26th 2010
| The difference is we’re independent
Vol. 24. No 4
The College Tribune Politics ››
The Siren ››
How will Mid-Term Elections affect the Presidency of Obama?
The Siren analyses Digitalism
page 8
pages 6-7
UCD Students’ Union Budget Released Where YOUR MON€Y Goes USI Affiliation Costs over €100,000 Sabbatical Officers paid €400 a week Donie O’ Sullivan The UCD Students’ Union released their operational budget for this academic year last Tuesday, at the second meeting of the SU Council. Total income, excluding UCD Ents ticket sales and different forms of sponsorship, for the Union is estimated at €760,000. A substantial amount of this figure is spent on staff payments and on membership of the national organisation representing students’ unions, the Union of Students in Ireland. The sabbatical team of Paul Lynam, Pat de Brún, Jonny Cosgrove, James Williamson and Scott Ahearn cost the Students’ Union €116,000 for their twelve month service. The annual salary of each sabbatical officer is €22,200 – or €400 a week, with projected maximum expenses of €1,000 per officer.
Paul Lynam, President of the UCD Students’ Union, said: “We project expenses of €1,000 per officer, however that is an absolute maximum expense; sabbatical officers, particularly in this administration, will not go anywhere near that.” He also pointed out that “our benefits [in] kind make us the second lowest paid sabbatical team in the country.” A further €115,000 is spent on professional staff employed by the UCDSU. “We mean business this year, we have hired staff with great experience from political and various other backgrounds,” said Lynam, promising the team will deliver “proper support that the student body of this university deserve and need.” The head office of the UCDSU is also expected to spend €16,000 on telephone and postage costs, and €10,000 on “stationery and
office supplies.” Several members of the SU Council questioned why the cost of affiliation with the Union of Students in Ireland was so high – at €108,000 it is the equivalent to €5 per fulltime student and €2.50 per part-time student in UCD. Lynam defended the cost saying that “we do need national representation” and reminded Council that the student body had voted to remain affiliated with USI in 2002.The UCDSU will spend a further €20,000 this year in the promotion and participation in the USI National March, which takes place on Wednesday, November 3rd. The class rep training weekend, totalling €10,500, cost 50% less than last year. The sabbatical team expressed their delight at Continued on page 2 »
UCD May Have to Pay Back €1.6m in Unsanctioned Payments Senior Staff in UCD paid over €1.6m in unsanctioned payments over ten years. €266,000 paid in unsanctioned performance bonuses. Amy Walsh UCD is in talks with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) concerning unsanctioned payments to senior staff amounting to €1.6m. These talks commence as a report was published by John Buckley, the Comptroller and Auditor General. The report looks at a number of issues facing
the seven Irish universities, including remuneration in the university sector. UCD paid up to €1.6 million in unauthorised allowances to staff over a ten year period, according to the report. A further €266,000 was paid in performance bonuses between 2005 and 2008, shared amongst
twelve people. In light of the findings, UCD and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) are currently in talks regarding the repayment of up to €1.6m in unauthorised allowances. Under the Universities Act 1997, universities do not have the power to remunerate staff.
Remuneration of staff is subject to approval by the Minister for Education and Skills, with the consent of the Minister for Finance. In exceptional circumstances, the universities may adopt a special framework in order to attract particularly qualified or expert staff. These provisions do not apply to senior officer posts (those above professor level). The remuneration of such posts is Continued on page 2 »
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