Keane rejects allegation that he did not oppose supplemental exam fees

Keane’s comments come after an article published in the University Times tonight

Kevin Keane, President of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), has rejected claims that he did not oppose the introduction of supplemental exam fees at a meeting of College’s Finance Committee in December.

An article published by The University Times stated that the decision to introduce supplemental exam fees was passed “without dissent” at the December meeting of College’s Finance Committee, of which Keane is a voting member.

Keane rejected the claims at an emergency meeting held tonight by TCDSU to discuss the fees. Responding to a member of the audience, Keane stated that “it’s just not the case” that he did not dissent to the decision. He said that “we registered our very serious concerns and dissent” and claimed that the minutes of the December meeting, which have yet to be officially released, do not reflect this.

Speaking to Trinity News, TCDSU Education Officer Alice MacPherson said “at every stage, TCDSU representatives opposed supplemental fees”. She continued: “A recent University Times article referred to the expectation of Finance Committee that student reps propose an alternative revenue stream to make the modular billing cost neutral. This is, in my opinion despicable. It is not the job of student reps to do College’s leg work and find money to fill their deficit.”

College recently announced its decision to introduce a flat €450 fee for supplemental exams beginning in the 2018/19 academic year.

Rory O'Neill

Rory O'Neill is a former Managing Editor of Trinity News, and a History graduate.