THE RECENT discovery of a worm in a sandwich from TCD's catering department appears to have opened the floodgates of student dissatisfaction.

A motion to go before the students' union assembly on Thursday directs the union "to demand from college an expansion and improvement of student catering facilities". The motion also calls for an organised "visit" by all students on the campus to their nearest college catering outlet at 1 p.m. on Friday. This is likely to put the catering department under unbearable pressure - which is probably the intention anyway.

"While the college continues to increase its intake of students, services for those students are inadequate. It's a situation that needs to be addressed immediately," TCD students' union president Fergus Finnegan says.

A new catering facility proposed for the "East End" development in the college and the upgrading of the Buttery snack bar are unlikely to be sufficient to alleviate the problem, in the union's view. Meanwhile, the proposed bar and common room facilities in Goldsmith Hall, TCD's new social and residential development on Pearse Street, could be ready early next year.

In a separate motion, the college has also been accused of providing "sub standard accommodation" to students living in college premises and of treating student residents with "blatant disregard".

Building work is ongoing in Trinity Hall on Dartry Road in south Dublin, while the union claims there is insufficient furniture for students in Goldsmith Hall. The union is also unhappy that building and restoration work has been carried out during term time. Students in college accommodation have far fewer legal rights than tenants in privately let accommodation.

TCD's accommodation officer, Tony Dempsey, does not accept the situation is as bad as stated: building work on Trinity Hall has run slightly over schedule, he says, but will be completed this week. There also had been "one or two teething problems" with Goldsmith Hall. The college has a good system of support, he adds, including tradesmen on call around the clock.