Niamh McCay elected TCDSU Education Officer

McCay beats contender Sally Anne McCarthy with 50.5% of the vote

Niamh McCay has been declared the winner Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Education Officer race. McCay received 50.5% of votes, or 1,671 votes, with the other contender in the race, Sally Anne McCarthy, receiving 49.5%, or 1,524 votes after the second count. The option to re-open nominations, which was eliminated after the first count, received 183 votes.

A total of 3,409 votes were counted tonight, 102 of which were deemed invalid; leaving 3,307 valid votes.

McCay’s victory is in line with the Trinity News poll, which saw her take a narrow lead with 52% of the vote.

Having secured the win, McCay, a third year Geography and Politics student, will aim to implement her campaign promises of compiling an online database of all modules offered by College, the reintroduction of an Off-Campus Officer role within the Union, and an agreement signed by teaching staff to provide better online teaching materials.

Additionally, McCay hopes to update room booking information to include accessibility details and to create an SU Advisory Group which would facilitate smoother handovers among TCDSU sabbatical officers from year to year.

This year’s Education Officer race was characterised by both candidates’ extensive experience within the Union. McCay is the Union’s Citizenship Officer, having previously served as Music Officer of Trinity Hall JCR. McCarthy is the current Engineering, Mathematics and Sciences (EMS) Faculty Convenor, and a former Science Program Convenor and Undergraduate Studies Committee representative. Both sit on the Academic Senate, the Education Committee, and have been class representatives.

Throughout hustings, the candidates fielded a series of questions on how they would tackle students’ issues with the newly introduced Trinity Education Project (TEP). Both McCay and McCarthy outlined similar dissatisfaction with TEP’s implementation thus far, with McCay intending to implement focus groups of class reps to give feedback to College.

Finn Purdy

Finn Purdy is the current Deputy Editor of Trinity News. He is a Junior Sophister English Studies student, and a former News Editor and Assistant News Editor.