UCD’s Redmond elected President of USI
In the last few moments, UCD Students’ Union President has been elected next year’s President of the Union of Students in Ireland.
In a tightly-fought election this lunchtime which was sent to three recounts, Redmond defeated current USI Equality Officer Kelly by 109 votes to 107, with three votes to re-open nominations.
Redmond’s election marks the first time since 1994 that a UCD student will have been the leader of the national student movement.
Redmond said he was “delighted with the result and with the support I’ve received up and down the country. There is a huge will among the students of Ireland to engage with national student issues and to fight for a better deal for students. I can feel momentum building around issues like the maintenance grant, the registration fee and higher education funding, and I want to harness that momentum to push the student agenda to the fore of the country’s affairs.”
“It’s a vital time for education in Ireland,” he added. “We need more investment and more supports for students to produce top-quality graduates, who will help drive the knowledge-based economy we aim to build. If Ireland is serious about meeting our targets under the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, and promoting lifelong learning, now is the time to invest in education.”
President of Trinity College Dublin SU, Cónán O Bróin, was elected Deputy President, while UCCSU’s Welfare Officer Rebecca Murphy was elected to the national equivalent post.
In the elections to the LGBT Officer and Equality Officer positions, all running candidates were defeated with the Re-Open Nominations option being elected in both cases.