Heating in the RDS Simmonscourt venue will be on during and in between exams, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) have announced.
Exams in RDS Simmonscourt began yesterday, and are expected to conclude on Friday, December 16.
According to TCDSU, they were told by the Academic Registry (AR) that heating will be “left on in [the venue] during exams as well as in between them”.
“It is still recommended to wear layers but it’s a lot warmer here today,” TCDSU said in a statement on their Instagram page.
Yesterday, students expressed concern over temperatures in the RDS.
Speaking to Trinity News, one student sitting a chemistry exam said: “I wore lots of clothes, but after 15 minutes I was shaking so much, my hands were frozen and I could not focus on the exam.”
“It was the first time in my life that I [left] the exam early as I felt I can’t take the cold anymore,” they added. “I am really not exaggerating. I was freezing and the only thing in my head was just to leave the exam and go out.”
Yesterday morning, Met Éireann issued a status orange warning for most counties from noon until midnight as cold conditions continue.
A cold spell across the country began this weekend, with temperatures reaching as low as -5 degrees Celsius in some areas in Dublin.
Met Éireann has forecast that certain areas around the country may experience temperatures of up to -10 degrees Celsius this week.
Under Irish health and safety legislation the range of temperature that is considered acceptable for indoor workers goes from 16°C to 17.5°C. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 covers the issue of minimum temperatures in the workplace.
In-person exams are held every year in Simmonscourt.
A first year student also told Trinity News that they found the cold conditions “nearly impossible to focus under, even with multiple layers on”.
“I found myself rushing to finish my exam just so I could go and warm up,” they added. “I understand that it’s difficult to heat an area of that size, but little to no heating in December was not what I expected.”
