Trinity College Dublin’s Students Union (TCDSU) has passed a motion on support for students on placement at the third SU Council of the year.
The motion was proposed by TCDSU Education Officer Megan O’Connor and seconded by TCDSU Citizenship Officer Jodie Milne.
O’Connor, who studied General Nursing, urged Council to vote in favour of this motion saying that students on placement are “incredibly vulnerable” right now and that they “really need any support that we can give them.”
Milne, who is currently on placement as a student nurse, also urged council members to vote in favour of this motion saying that this is a “really difficult time for someone to be on placement” and we must support these students in “any of their struggles.”
This motion mandates the union so that the President and Off-Campus Officer coordinate actions to support these students on placement and their trade union(s).It also mandates that the Sabbatical Officer Board lobby the college and local and national politicians for the improvement of these students’ working conditions.
Speaking to Trinity News today, a second year general nursing student, who wishes to remain anonymous, highlighted how important the SU’s support on this matter is, saying: “It is really important to me that the largest representative of the student body in Trinity College Dublin shows their support and solidarity with the student nurses and midwives. TCDSU should not stay silent on an issue that affects a substantial group of students.”
The student went on to express her concerns over TCDSU’s “silence” when this issue was first brought up calling it “extremely disheartening” and said that she believes that “in order for a students union to be truly effective they must show their support and stand with all students on matters such as this.”
Last week, a vote to pay the student nurses and midwives on placement failed to pass in the Dáil.
The Solidarity-People Before Profit motion was defeated by 77 votes to 72.
TCDSU Education Officer Megan O’Connor expressed her disappointment in the government on Twitter, saying that they had “have disappointed students beyond belief” and that they “have refused to support the same front line workers you clapped for”.
TCDSU’s official Twitter retweeted several tweets during the vote last week with the hashtags #EducationnotExploitation and #SupportStudentNursesandMidwives.
Additional reporting by Finn Purdy, Jack Kennedy, Bonnie Gill and Connie Roughan.
