Author: Daniel Waugh

The Union of Students in Ireland will Consider Running Someone Against Senator Ronan Mullen if he “Continues to Represent Hateful Views”

Posted by | Oct 27, 2015 | , |

Senator Ronan Mullen The Union of Students in Ireland has criticised Senator Ronan Mullen’s recent interruption of the same sex marriage bill as it passed in the Seanad, and said it will consider running someone against him if he continues to represent hateful views. The USI also criticised Senator Mullen’s stance on abortion, saying his comments were unfounded and inaccurate. Over 10,000 women joined the March for Choice in Dublin on Saturday the 26th September. Despite this, Senator Mullen spoke about the “grizzly realities” of abortion and said “the momentum to further legalise abortion in Ireland is largely a media swell rather than any ground swell, as the rather modest turn out at the protest showed.” Ronan Mullen was elected to the Seanad in the National Universities of Ireland constituency in July 2007. Every University and college across Ireland that held a referendum on their stance on the subject of same sex marriage voted yes. “Senator Ronan Mullen is no stranger to controversy,” Kevin Donoghue, Union of Students in Ireland president, said, “But his uncompromising, enduring and extremely vocal views on major social and political issues such as same sex marriage, civil partnerships, abortion and his opposition to the Children and Family Relationships Bill, are extremely damaging and hurtful to young people. His association with the Iona Institute, who rely on invalid interpretations of data to back their claims,...

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The Union of Students in Ireland Slammed Ógra Fianna Fáil for their Loan Scheme Proposal

Posted by | Oct 27, 2015 | , , , , , , |

The Union of Students in Ireland has slammed Ógra Fianna Fáil for proposing an income-contingent loan scheme for the Irish 3rd level education system at the gates of Trinity College on Friday the 23rd October. USI said the loan system is overwhelmingly intimidating and will deter students from applying to college.     Ógra Fianna Fáil said “a pragmatic approach to our declining 3rd level system is needed – one that provides a good quality education that is free at point of access and that makes higher education affordable to students.” However, the USI said that an already broken loan system will only further fracture the structure of the Irish education system.   In supposed times of recovery, 30,000 people have already emigrated from Ireland this year alone. The USI said this loan system will only push people further away and outlined that other countries in Europe offer better pay and lower registration fees, making the cost of education cheaper abroad.   “The federal 3rd level loan system did not work in the UK or the USA. It would be impractical and illogical to introduce an already broken loan scheme to Ireland.” Kevin Donoghue, preside of Union of Students in Ireland, said. “For the majority of students that struggle to find a well-paid job straight out of college, this debt can be overwhelmingly intimidating – like a huge bet...

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Student Summit Launch Party

Posted by | Oct 27, 2015 | , |

USI President, Kevin Donoghue, and Paddy Guiney   The Student summit launch party kicked off in the Bank of Ireland innovation centre on the 22nd October at 6pm to launch over 40 start up jobs for students, over 20 development workshops for young entrepreneurs, and the student summit start up pitch which is putting the finest student start ups head-to-head for a cash prize, working office space and mentoring with Enterprise Ireland.     The Student Summit 2016 will include key speakers such as Feilim Mac An Iomaire, the PR and Media Relations Manager at Paddy Power; Humans of Dublin, who will be doing a workshop on capturing people’s imagination; and many more.   USI president, Kevin Donoghue, speaking at the Student Summit Launch   The Student Summit 2016 will take place on the 4th February this year in Dublin Castle, with 600 students, 35 start-ups, 40+ jobs for students, key speakers, 20 workshops and leading student brands. “The Student Summit is a fantastic event for young entrepreneurs, job-seeking students and young people looking to start up their own business.” Kevin Donoghue, Union of Students in Ireland president, said. “I’d strongly advise students to turn up for a day of commercial, PR and marketing education, as well as innovation and mentoring. Tickets start from €5 – well worth-it considering the plethora of advice and expertise you get from the...

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Students are in the Best Position to set up their own Business

Posted by | Oct 16, 2015 | |

Last year’s winners at the Student Entrepreneur Awards Students are in the best position to set up their own businesses and launch new products, according to the Union of Students in Ireland, who are encouraging students to research the plethora of start-up support provided by Enterprise Ireland to anyone with a new business idea. The wide range of support available to students includes the Student Entrepreneur Awards, Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur, Competitive Start up Funds, Enterprise Start up workshops and The Student Summit. “Students and young people are at the forefront of turn-of-the-century new designs, creative innovations and new businesses,” Kevin Donoghue, USI president, said, “Young people and student inventors have brought a lot of life-changing, commercial products to the international market in the past few years, such as the SecuRetract from UCC, a minimally invasive, disposal retractor for use in laproscopic surgery; the BLAZER team from Trinity, whose product idea will save honeybees by removing Varroa mite infestations; TippyTalk from LIT, which is a robust touch screen communication system which overcomes non-verbal disabilities. It’s extremely inspiring and encouraging for other students seeing their peers excel in their businesses and product designs.” The Student Entrepreneur Awards is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, Cruickshank Intellectual Property (who legalise the patent and trade mark of the business), Grant Thornton and Intel. To enter the Student Entrepreneur Awards, a video pitch should be...

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80% of Students Won’t Vote for the Current Government in the Election after seeing their Budget Priorities

80% of Students Won’t Vote for the Current Government in the Election after seeing their Budget Priorities

Posted by | Oct 13, 2015 | |

New survey information was released by the Union of Students in Ireland today outlining student’s reactions to the Budget. 80% of students will vote for another party in the General Election after seeing the Budget priorities. 66.7% of students feel let down by the current government. 91% of students feel the government has not appropriately addressed student supports in the Budget. The USI said the further €3 million secured for the SAF (student assistant fund) to support the most disadvantaged and the minimum wage raised by 50cent will help working students, however the lack of reintroducing postgraduate grants is disappointing. “Although the increase of €3 million...

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