Trinity Sport Union have urged students to vote no in an upcoming referendum on the Annual Sports Centre charge.
In a statement yesterday, Liam Bean, Chairperson of Trinity Sport Union, urged students to vote against the motion, “to safeguard student sport at Trinity”.
The statement said that the proposed amendments to cease booking fees and equipment charges “threatens the student sport experience and opportunities”.
It added that the proposed changes “will inevitably result in less access and capacity for student sport, higher charges to student sport clubs and an increase of commercial activity”.
The referendum, to be held by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), will decide whether to make the unions’ support for the charge conditional on the abolition of all booking, equipment and class fees in the centre.
“Currently student sport charges at Trinity College Dublin [remain] the lowest compared to other Irish universities,” the statement said.
Bean has claimed that the proposed wording in the referendum contains “inaccuracies” in relation to the inflation provision, and that there “has been no consultation on the sport levy referendum with Trinity Sport Union”.
Article 6.9 of Trinity Sport’s Terms & Conditions stipulates that “all facility fees may be subject to annual price changes to reflect inflation” from October 1 each year.
“Ultimately I believe this vote is fundamentally flawed,” Bean’s statement added.
In order to pass, 60% of votes cast must be in favour. The result will be released via email the day after voting closes.
Voting for the referendum will ultimately take place online from Monday, January 30 to Wednesday, February 1.
Students must be registered to vote in advance of the referendum, which will also register them to vote for the upcoming SU leadership elections. The deadline to register to vote is 5pm today.
