PRE ELECTION paranoia seems to be settling in nicely at USI HQ, to judge by events in Waterford RTC last week.

USI education officer, Malcolm Byrne, and welfare officer, Noeleen Hartigan, had been due to address class representatives in the college for some time and their visit was scheduled for early last week.

Both duly arrived, but in a loaves fishes scenario, where once there were few, suddenly there were many. USI president Colman Byrne arrived as well, as did union development officer Dermot Quain, women's rights officer Kelley O'Dowd and, in a preemptive strike, welfare officer Helen Ryan, who visited Waterford a day earlier than the rest. Southern area convenor, Ian Lucey, was also present, as Waterford RTC is in his area of responsibility.

In fact, the only USI officer not in attendance was poor old Ray Lehane, who was too busy going about his day today business as western area convenor to attend.

The students of Waterford RTC may well have wondered what they had done to, merit such an embarrassment of USI riches, although the direction of the Waterford RTC vote in the upcoming USI sabbatical elections may have something to do with it.

Colman Byrne was paying his first visit to Waterford RTC since his election last year.

Byrne is likely to run for another term as USI president, preferably unopposed, and he was anxious to ensure nobody got in any canvassing without his knowing about it. John McGrath, the popular and extremely competent president of Waterford RTC students' union, was also a cause of concern for Byrne, since it was unclear if he was going to run for a USI position this year. In the end, McGrath has decided to concentrate on maintaining his own union's upward momentum, at least for the present.

Of the rest, Hartigan has almost completed three years in USI and cannot run again for any positions. Dermot Quain, meanwhile, has his eyes on the deputy president's position while the other sabbaticals have yet to make their intentions clear.

Malcolm Byrne, who may yet be tempted to run against his namesake for the presidency, remains the dark horse, but the full field of eventual runners is unlikely to be confirmed before the end of next month. Meanwhile, in an echo of the bad old days of communism when spies kept an eye on spies keeping an eye on spies, other colleges can presumably look forward to enthusiastic visits from the USI brigade ...