Today Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Education joined the Union of Students in Ireland. Coláiste Dhúlaigh is a post-Leaving Certificate college in Dublin, and has campuses in Coolock, Raheny, Kilbarrack, and Malahide. It boasts 30 full-time courses and a large part-time provision of day and evening courses.
“We are delighted to have Coláiste Dhúlaigh onboard as an affiliated college of USI,” Kevin Donoghue, President of the Union of Students in Ireland, said, “USI represents post-secondary, and not just third-level, students. We are hopeful Coláiste Dhúlaigh will be one of many. We are the student movement and a movements’ strength comes from its numbers. Being affiliated with the USI means a college has their voice represented and amplified on a national level to the media, the public, the government and politicians.”
Kevin Donoghue, USI president, and Jack Leahy, VP of Academic Affairs and Quality Assurance, with the Coláiste Dhúlaigh Union
The formalities of joining the Union of Students in Ireland were completed today – after a unanimous decision at the USI National Council to approve the Coláiste Dhúlaigh membership proposal on November 6th in CIT.
“We’re delighted to join USI and are looking forward to working as part of the national union.” Jessie O’Connell, President of Coláiste Dhúlaigh, said “Further education colleges across the country face a number of challenging issues and I look forward to the opportunity to address them.”
Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Education is USI’s second Further Education Member Organisation after Templemore College for Further Education, as part of an ongoing effort to reach out to Further Education colleges in pursuit of a more representative union.
Jack Leahy, the VP for Academic Affairs and Quality Assurance, and Keivn Donoghue, President of the USI, met with Coláiste Dhúlaigh Student Union officers, Student Union staff, and the college principal in early October to begin discussions about joining USI.