USI has appointed its first full time southern area convenor following the union's recent southern area conference. Ian Lucey is a second year business studies student from Cork RTC and, at a tender 18 years of age, is probably USI's youngest ever officer.

Lucey says one of his primary aims is "to get the RTC sector up and running within USI. A lot of it involves representation because, for a long time, we had no one in the south giving proper representation here. It was difficult for USI officers from Dublin to get down here so at last we have an officer who will be seen around the colleges."

He joins Ray Lehane of UCG, who was elected to the position of western area convenor, and Dennis Carson, formerly of the Belfast Institute of Further Education, who was re elected as USI's man in Northern Ireland.

USI shares responsibility for Northern students with the British National Union of Students although the two organisations continue to clash on some basic policy points, particularly the issue of free education across the board, which is supported by USI but not by NUS.