Concerns over ‘safety and parking’ issues that arose during the build up to the Trinity Ball 2008 have led MCD Promotions to formally apologise to the college.
Concerns over ‘safety and parking’ issues that arose during the build up to the Trinity Ball 2008 have led MCD Promotions to formally apologise to the college.
In a report to the Sites and Facilities committee, the College Safety Officer outlined concerns over safety issues during the set up and take down of the Trinity Ball. The main anxiety related to MCD’s failure to clear Front Square of the Ball debris before Trinity Monday.
MCD Promotions run the Trinity Ball alongside the Trinity Student’s Union every May. Last year, there was some controversy when the MCD contract was renewed for 5 years with little consultation to members of the Capitations Committee. They are now scheduled to run the ball alongside the SU until 2012. The decision – though only briefly discussed at the Capitations meeting – was welcomed by the Students’ Union Entertainments Officer, Ed O’Riordan last year and by the Dublin University Cenral Soceities Committee.
The College Safety Officer reported that the Ball 2008 was very successful particularly as it was the first time in 10 years that there were no hospitalisations during the event. However he expressed concern that MCD had been unable to clear the front area of college subsequent to the event. In response to concerns over how Ball equipment was taken down this year, the Director of Buildings, Paul Mangan, has proposed a stricter timetable be drawn up prior to the event each year. There will be a precise programme relating to the set up and removal time as well as the provision of extra car parking to avoid disruption. The Ball Committee has agreed to set aside 50 private car parking spaces for the duration of future Balls in order to ease interference to staff.
The Ball Committee acknowledged the problems and formally apologised. They agreed that all future Ball applications to the Board would be subject to review by the Director of Buildings. MCD have also apologised to the college for their ‘lack of satisfactory management of the contractors’ and failing to complete the removal in time. MCD were unwilling to speak about the hitch to Trinity News.
