Seán Binder awarded honorary membership of TCDSU

Senator Alice Mary Higgins and former Education Officer Bev Genockey were also awarded honorary membership

Activist and College graduate Seán Binder has been awarded honorary membership at Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union.

PPES graduate Binder previously faced charges of espionage after saving refugees and migrants on Lesbos Island as part of his volunteer work with Emergency Response Centre International, which were dropped after four years.

Council noted that we live in a time of “mass demonisation and vilification of migrants”, and that migration “has been a natural fact of our world since the beginning of humanity”. Council commended Binder “for acting with integrity, and putting his beliefs into practice in the most meaningful way possible”.

TCDSU President Gabi Fullam, who proposed the motion, said Binder “has embodied everything this union stands for” and “enacts all of the skills we learn [in College] to actually extend to human rights across the world”.

Former TCDSU Education Officer Bev Genockey was elected an honorary member of TCDSU for her “many contributions” over the past four years as class representative, programme convenor, deputy STEM convenor, chair of diversity in STEM, education officer, “and all round hack”.

Council noted that Genockey “continuously contributed to the betterment of our Union… continuously providing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the student body at all times”. Council also noted that Genockey’s time with TCDSU has been marked by “numerous positive contributions”.

According to Council, Genockey has “consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the lives of students, advocating for their rights and has worked tirelessly to create a more welcoming and supportive campus environment”.

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS) Faculty Convenor Eoghan Gilroy noted “the outstanding contributions made by [Genockey] to TCDSU and the broader student union over the past five years.”

Genockey has “a deep commitment to improving the lives of students, advocating for their rights and creating an environment that fights for every student”.

Senator Alice Mary Higgins was also elected an honorary member of TCDSU. Council said “that political allies on important issues affecting students can be invaluable towards the student movement”, and they applauded the Higgins’ continuous communication with TCDSU.

Fullam commended her work in calling on Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris to amend the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Bill to include student union and trade union representation.

Senator Lynn Ruane was also nominated to the board of trustees of TCDSU. According to the motion, “the TCDSU Board of Trustees is a central element of our governance structure”.

Ruane is a current senator for the Dublin University Panel where she has been a “strong advocate for the student movement” and other social issues such as Travellers’ Rights, according to the motion.

“The expertise of Lynn Ruane would be incredibly valuable to TCDSU,” the motion said.

The Board of Trustees consult the union on various matters that arise such as general management and financial issues.

Ellen Kenny

Ellen Kenny is the current Deputy Editor of Trinity News and a Senior Sophister student of Politics and Sociology. She previously served as Assistant Editor and Features Editor