Irish Student Newspaper of the Year 2009
THE LENIHAN INTERVIEW BUSINESS, P18
MARY AT KNOCK HANDS-ON HISTORY TRAVEL, P20
Tuesday November 17 2009
www.trinitynews.ie
College seeks power to seize publications Lisa Byrne News Editor STUDENT BODIES have opposed a move by members of College staff to introduce a new clause to the terms of reference of the Capitation Committee giving the Senior Dean power to remove student publications from circulation. The proposed terms of reference document was prepared by a subcommittee composed of the the Senior Dean, Junior Dean, Dean of Students, and the College Secretary. The item was added to the agenda at the last minute: representatives were informed in an email that was sent the night before the meeting was due to be held. It was decided at the meeting that a working group, comprising representatives from each of the Capitated Bodies and chaired by Joseph O’Gorman, Honorary Treasurer of the CSC, would be set up to redraft the document. Chairperson of “The addition did not contain any student input” says Maishman Trinity Publications Luke Maishman remarked “I don’t think there were any expectations it would be passed.” He
Issue 5, Volume 56
ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE
added that the late addition did little to help it succeed saying it was a “further reason” for the result. Students’ Union President Cónán Ó Bróin expressed concern over the matter saying that the Union felt “uncomfortable with not only the content” but the “manner in which it was deployed” According to Ó Bróin the Union is fearful that the power of censorship will be placed in the hands of one person and they are prepared to stand against “any form of censorship of student opinion” in the College.
APRIL IMAGE
PROPOSED ADDITION Article 4.6 read: “THE CAPITATION Committee delegates to the Chair of the Committee, the authority, in extreme cases, to remove from circulation in College, any publication prodcued by a Capitated Body, or one of its dependent organisations, should the publication be at risk of causing damage to any individauls(s) or be considered to be in breach of legislation, pending a full investigation by the Committee.”
The Giraffes– Danny Forde, Oli Welfare and Pats O’Leary– jazz it up in the Cancer Society’s 2010 calendar. Trinity students bare all for the calendar, on sale this Friday from the stand in the Arts Building and the Student’s Union shop. 100% of the proceeds of each sale go to cancer research, thanks to free printing from Reads Print & Design. Photo: Martin McKenna.
Rise in registration fees possible, says Lenihan Lisa Keenan Deputy Business & Careers Editor THE MINISTER for Finance, Mr Brian Lenihan, has refused to rule out a further increase in registration fees for third level students. In an exclusive interview last week with Trinity News (see Business and Careers Section) the Minister was asked what plans his government have with regard to the annual ‘student services’ registration fee which has increased substantially over the last few years. Mr Lenihan said he could not offer an assurance that it would not rise again in the coming academic year but hastened to add that the Government had by no means made up its mind. “I don’t want to give the impression that we’re going to increase it again,” he said. €4bn in cuts in government expenditure are expected to be announced in the forthcoming budget and it is doubtful that universities will escape unscathed with registration fee hikes most likely on the agenda. The Minister’s refusal to comment on the issue one way or another means that students are still forced to deal with the uncertainty surrounding the issue. Registration fees have risen to 17 times their 1994 levels, an increase which was initially associated with higher rates of inflation but became increasingly high due to reductions in government funding for third level institutions. Up until recently the Minister for Education, Mr Batt O’Keeffe, had hoped to bring an end to the Free Fees Initiative which was introduced by the
NEWS FEATURES P8
Labour-Fine Gael coalition government in 1994. However heads of the colleges were disappointed when the new programme for government drawn up by coalition partners Fine Fáil and the Green Party specifically ruled out the introduction of college tuition fees. They are now looking to the Higher Education Authority to increase the student service charge as a means of plugging the hole in the universities’ finances. The Irish Independent reported that the HEA has estimated the colleges need to find €500m meet rising demand. The body also stated that the third level education system in Ireland was facing a funding crisis, something which the heads of the colleges have maintained for some time. The Irish universities are now looking to the HEA to approve a rise in registration fees as a means of staving off disaster. It is thought that the colleges will look for a significant increase in these charges as it has already been stated by the President of Dublin City University, Dr Ferdinand von Prondzynski, that the cost of providing services to students is over 50% higher than the income the colleges receive from the existing registration fee. University College Cork President Dr Michael Murphy has already said that although the colleges are disappointed with the government’s failure to introduce tuition fees, the student charges are effectively “fees by another name.” This belief is shared by many and although the Minister has not declared himself to be in favour of an increase, the
Union of Students in Ireland is already gearing up for a fight. A protest held outside the Dáil on October 27 opposing any hike in student charges is a sign of things to come. USI President Peter Mannion has already stated that the student charge is too high already and that if it were increased to over €2000, as is feared, then many students would be priced out of college education. Mr Lenihan however does not share the USI’s pessimistic view of the situation. He still continues to back the introduction of a student loan system at some future date as a viable alternative to the Free Fees Initiative but he was quick to reaffirm that “there was a decision not to introduce fees in the lifetime of the government - or student loans...it’s off the agenda.” The Minister also accepts that the registration fee represents a “substantial amount” for students and that while he cannot confirm that a hike is off the agenda he has “no great ambition to fleece students.” However, he maintains that the issue is not so much about raising revenue as empowering students. He believes that when students contribute directly towards the cost of their education there is a greater check on staff performance. “If the student is making a contribution it does mean that there is far more supervision of staff performance because the students want value for money...[they] are far more conscious of the cost of college education and are more critical of staff standards,” he said. “The fact remains that the most pressing issue for Irish universities at
Strikes set to halt College Kate Palmer & Kris Wilson
Mr Brian Lenihan TD. the moment is their financial difficulties and that the quickest way to make up the shortfall is to increase revenue,” said Trinity Student’s Union President Conan O’Broin, reacting to the Minister’s remarks.
Full interview: Business & Careers, P 18
“INCOMPETENT, DISHONEST, feckers”. These are the words of one Trinity lecturer in response to government proposals to reduce public sector pay. The professor, who wishes to remain unnamed, will be among the numerous Trinity lecturers, security staff, librarians and shop assistants who plan to take part in a nationwide public sector strike next week. Proposed by public sector unions, the 24-hour nationwide boycott will cause normal services at Trinity College to come to a grinding halt as public sector staff across the board stage protests in Dublin City. The strike is being held in protest against measures to reduce government-funded salaries across Ireland. “I want to bomb the Dail, then I’d go in with a potato masher to make sure Brian Cowen was dead”, is just one reaction among Trinity staff to the proposed salary reductions. Although made in jest, the anger of this Security Staff member reflects the sentiment of opposition felt among College staff and teacher unions. “I don’t understand why people are so outraged”, says one lecturer in an exclusive to Trinity News. “They vote in the same incompetent, dishonest feckers time and time again”. Needless to say, the aforementioned professor will not be attending work this coming Tuesday.
If the proposals take effect, almost all 2,676 of Trinity’s employees will be affected. It is understood the proposed pay cuts will save the government €300 million in a full year, and are part of a wider initiative to reduce the public “the cuts are nothing more than an illthought out recipe for social division” sector pay bill by €1.3 billion before 2010. Among the Government’s measures to cut public sector costs include an increase in University registration fees and an embargo on the recruitment and promotion of all University staff. A librarian speaking on behalf of the library staff says they feel “unfairly punished” as a result of government policy. “Almost all library staff will be gone as a result of the hiring freeze, staff have already decreased by 30 members this year, and we’re unable to employ any more.” It is understood that most library security staff and library staff members will be on Strike this Tuesday. During the course of the strike, the University will have to employ a skeleton staff willing to cross the picket line in order to keep the University open. Trinity Staff Relations Manager, Ken O’Doherty says “College will have in place procedures to maintain continued on page 2