Provost Patrick Prendergast has said that he would like to see Trinity take a role in the ongoing discussions regarding the direct provision system. He made the statement during a question and answer discussion after his final “State of the College” address this afternoon.
In response to a question regarding what steps Trinity would be taking to welcome new members of Trinity, given the university’s increasingly globalised student and staff population, the provost said that this discussion was ongoing at board level and that Trinity needed to be able to examine itself on whether it was providing a home.
In his answer, Prendergast also included Ireland’s direct provision system as part of these considerations and highlighted the difficulties those in direct provision face in entering third level education. The provost stated that the direct provision system is considered when assessing whether Trinity is providing a sufficient community for its students and staff. Trinity should take a role in the national discussion regarding the system, he said.
Prendergast stated that Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President Shane De Rís would be introducing a discussion item at Trinity’s next University Council meeting regarding the direct provision system in Ireland. The provost also said that he would like to see Ireland’s increasingly diversified population represented in Trinity’s undergraduate student population as well as among Trinity’s staff.
The provost made the comments after his final “State of the College” address in the Edmund Burke theatre this evening. During the speech, Prendergast stated his belief that Trinity is “under ranked” compared to other universities and also launched College’s new strategic plan which is set to begin in 2019.
