The University Times www.universitytimes.ie
January 20th, 2010
Mrs Robinson
On the Fringe
The Irish Way
Rónán Burtenshaw examines the current scandal surrounding Iris Robinson. Features p6
Emma Keaveney reviews the Trinity Fringe Festival.
Cónán Ó Broin lists the top tens reasons why the country is in its current state. Opinion p12
Arts & Culture p16
Library enacts service cutbacks to cope with staff shortage
Student centre suffers planning set back Dublin City councillors raise objections with redevelopment of Pearse Street property
Reductions caused by public sector hiring moratorium
Leanna Byrne News Writer
Marykate Collins Deputy Editor Library service reductions have been announced which will see a cut in a number of core library services. In an email from the Deputy Librarian, Jessie Kurtz, to all academic staff, postgraduate and undergraduate students, seven reductions in service were enumerated. Cuts in Counter Services, that is the check-in and out of books will be cut so it will now stop at 18:00 on Fridays and the email also notes that there may be more cuts to Counter Services as it may be effected by staff absence. Stacks and Santry orders will be reduced to a twenty-four hour service which means books ordered online will be available for collection after twentyfour hours. This is a change from a delivery every ninety minutes for stacks and two deliveries daily for Santry orders. The Students’ Union Education Officer said that the library is in a ‘very difficult position with the public sector hiring moratorium.’ He went on to say that ‘the Students’ Union are working very closely with the library to minimize disruption to core library services and the campaign to improve library services is ongoing and if there is any change in moratorium we expect this decision to be reversed.’ This announcement follows a student protest in the library organized by the Students’ Union in November directed at ‘cuts made to library services.’ The Students’ Union made a number of demands to the College in a letter for the Provost. The letter demanded that the library open on Sundays and that ‘Sunday opening hours become a core service offered by the library and regularise it as a standard year-long service.’ The letter went on to insist that the ‘library bring its opening hours and service hours in line with the national average to be agreed between the Students’ Union and the library.’ The Trinity library is the second Continued page 2
Front Square during the recent snowfall that ground the country to a halt. Most of the square had to be closed off due to ice on the cobbles.
Photo: David O’Dwyer
‘Big Freeze’ causes disruption to the college Schol students disrupted as exams postponed due to heavy snowfall Carl Doherty News Writer Schol exams were postponed on January 11 due to the ‘deteriorating weather conditions and the expected snowfall.’ The Senior Lecturer, Dr Aileen Douglas, sent an email to all undergraduates on January 10 informing students of the postponement. The snow covered the whole college and barriers were erected in Parliament (Front) Square for safety. Members of the college and visitors were directed to the perimeter or centre of the square on alternate days in order to allow the compacted ice to become less slippery. People were also asked for the first time in recent history to ‘keep on the grass’ so as to avoid slipping on the icy cobbles. The front gate was also closed for the weekend to minimise the number
of visitors in college. The snow not only affected Trinity students thousands of primary and secondary level students were told to stay at home when most schools closed for health and safety reasons because of the snow and icy conditions. The Department of Education said it was up to boards of management to decide whether local conditions warranted the closure of a school. The city’s transport infrastructure was also massively disrupted by the bad weather. Some roads were impassable and Dublin Bus cancelled some services while most others were disrupted becuase of the icy road conditions. There was a shortage of salt for gritting the roads. Retired former National Roads Authority regional engineer Michael Cahill said what most people understand to mean gritting is often the salting of roads.
‘The purpose of putting the grit out on the road is to give you some purchase’ he said. This is different to salt which operates by melting the snow and by lowering the temperature at which water freezes. Salt water starts to freeze at about -2 degrees. Most of the paths in college were gritted by grounds staff as a safety precaution. Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews said city centre traders had experienced poor sales during the bad weather, he said ‘retailers in Dublin city centre were hit exceptionally hard by the recent spate of bad weather which deterred people from shopping and socialising.’ He was speaking about the reintroduction of the bus gate on January 18 which was closed for two months over Christmas. ‘The rush to reinstate the bus lane is unnecessary and short-sighted. I would
ask that the council delay this move, and give businesses an opportunity to recoup some of the lost revenue of the past two weeks,’ said Andrews The effectiveness of the bus gate will be reviewed by the council next May. Water supply was also affected by the cold weather. Many parts of the country being without water due to frozen water mains bursting. Trinity has not been hit by the water shortage yet but many say that the warming weather could still cause problems when pipes begin to thaw. The snow was a seasonal distraction for some students as snowmen began to appear around college.Snow ball fights were also a common sight with a large one taking place in College Park between those studying for Schol exams in the library when they found out their exam was postponed they quickly went outside to have fun.
Some Dublin City councillors have recommended that planners refuse permission to Trinity College Dublin for its proposed new student centre. Councillors on the south east area committee are not happy with the College’s application for a 4,400sqm student facility in Luce Hall. Dublin City Council has asked for more information from the College before it decides on a planning application for a new Student Centre in college. In a letter to the College’s architects, O’Donnell and Tuomey, from the Dublin City Council in response to the planning application the Council asks for a number of clarifications relating to draining and flood plans. The application asks for permission to redevelop Luce Hall and 183 Pearse St in order to provide for a circa 4,400sqm student facility. According to the documents submitted to the Council the new student centre would include society rooms, a library, student bar, and gig venue. The heritage body, An Taisce, welcomed Trinity’s proposal saying that it was an ‘important one on account of the prominence of the site within Trinity College and the city generally.’ It pointed the city’s planning regulations and noted that their ‘objective is to create a dynamic, mixed use, visually attractive, world-class city...’ The College did have its last application turned down by planners. The application was for permission to turn the building it owns on Foster Place into Dublin’s largest bar and restaurant. This application was turned down after a number of objections from bar owners and heritage groups including An Taisce. However, the latest application did not receive any objections from residents despite the councillors’ opposition. Luce Hall was built in 1979 and was used as a sports centre until the completion of the new gym and sports building. It now remains largely empty except for Continued page 2
Budget 2010 sees education cuts, but no rise in student service change Students receiving back-to-education allowance no longer eligible for grants Simone Hall News Writer
Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan on the day of the budget
There was no rise in the student service charge in the budget this year. In last month’s budget the Minister for Finance left the student service charge (registration fee) unchanged at €1,500. The Irish Independent reported that a confidential government document which it had seen showed the government recently considered hiking the charge by as much as €1,000. An increase by this much would raise an extra €54m. The 2009 budget allowed the registration fee to be increased from €900 to €1,500 in colleges for the 2009/2010 academic year. The government sets a maximum registration fee and after consulting the Higher Education Authority (HEA) each college sets its own fee. The student service charge has been
had some attention in the last couple of months the Joint Education and Science committee heard that only a third of Trinity’s student service charge for 2008/09 academic year was spent on student services. The accounts produced by Trinity College were sent to the chairman of the education committee and Green party TD Paul Gogarty. The student service charge is supposed to be ring fenced for student services, exams, and registration. In a letter to Gogarty explaining Trinity SU’s argument on the student service charge Cónán Ó Broin, Students’ Union President, says that the Minister for Education is on record saying that the student service charge is ‘solely for the provision of student services.’ The student service charge was introduced in 1996 when the Government started to pay tuition fees. A charge of £150 was paid by students for services, registration, and examinations.
The Department for Education circular on the student service charge says that examination and registration fees have always been regarded as a separate issue. ‘Second level students pay an examination fee for sitting the Junior and Leaving Certificate examination,’ the circular says. The estimates for 2009 say that the College collected €8,283,371 from student service charge. The estimates also indicate that the College budgeted €1,351,000 for examinations and
Editor: Robert Donohoe Deputy Editor: Marykate Collins Volume 1, Issue 5 ISSN: 2009-261X Phone: 01 646 8431 Email: info@universitytimes.ie Website: www.universitytimes.ie
€1,435,425 on the costs of registration for 2009. The budget also made changes for those start college next year and who qualify for the back-to-education allowance. Those who are entitled to receive the allowance will no longer be eligible for a grant. Previously, those who received a back-to-education allowance were also allowed claim a grant and apply for the top-up grant. Trinity College Students’ Union’s
This newspaper is produced with the financial support of Trinity College Students’ Union. It is set in 9pt Utopia and Whitney – a classic newspaper typeface and a modernist sans serif respectively. It was printed by Mortons Print Ltd.
Mature Student Officer, Simone Cameron-Coen said the government ‘wants to encourage people off social welfare and back to education and training, by pulling much needed funding from the poorest part of society they are actively discouraging a return to education.’ The amount of the grants and scholarships were reduced by five per cent. It will apply to all incoming and current students from January 2010. These measures will achieve a €10m saving for the state.
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