TCD students have voted overwhelmingly against reaffiliation to USI. In a referendum held in the college last Thursday, students voted over two to one against rejoining the national union.
It was one of the largest turnouts in recent years, with 1,022 students supporting the reaffiliation motion and 2,210 opposing it.
TCD is the third university in recent years to decide against reaffiliation to USI, following votes against reaffiliation in UCC and Maynooth. The size of the "No" vote came as a surprise to USI officers, who had anticipated a closer decision.
The "No" vote appears to have been strong in the science faculties, although tallies indicated that reaffiliation was also defeated among Arts Block voters. Two TCD presidential candidates had supported reaffiliation, including the eventual winner, Fergus Finnegan.
John Walsh, one of the leaders of the anti reaffiliation campaign, said he was delighted with the "emphatic" rejection of reaffiliation by TCD students. "I think the referendum itself was a positive development because it gave an opportunity for debate on national representation and undoubtedly helped to raise interest in the sabbatical elections," he said.
"I think there is a general feeling among Trinity students that their interests would be best served by a more general co operation between students' unions rather than by reaffiliation to USI."
He expressed the hope that TCD students' union would continue to develop a relationship of co operation both with USI and non affiliated universities.
USI president Colm Keaveney thanked all the students who voted. "There are now 1,022 politicised people inside TCD," he said. "We look forward to rekindling this newest generation of politicised students, the most TCD has seen in recent years."
The reaffiliation campaign was conducted in a sometimes tense atmosphere, with USI complaining about the restrictions on campaigning imposed on them by the college authorities. Keaveney said the restrictions has "serious effects on a balanced and fair debate". The "No" campaign described the claims as "absolutely untrue", pointing out that USI had been perfectly free to enter the campus and to speak at hustings.
Some USI affiliated colleges are now likely to put increased pressure on the national union to penalise non affiliated colleges whose students apply for USIT cards, the Irish version of the international student identity cards. The possibility of imposing a levy on non affiliates, or of attempting to withdraw their USIT card entitlements altogether, is set to be a topic for discussion at the USI annual congress later this month.
Opponents of such a move have pointed out that USI could face legal action by students in non affiliated colleges, and the possible disapproval of the international organisers of the scheme, for whom USIT are agents in the sale of student identity cards, if it attempted to impose such restrictions on the issue of USIT cards.
