The Ballyfermot Post

BCFE SU absent from national congress

Ballyfermot college was entitled to send a delegate to the Union of Students in Ireland annual congress, but the BCFE Student Union failed to represent its students.

New Union of Students in Ireland president elected unopposed after troubled year

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) have elected Shane Kelly as the incoming president of the group at their annual congress last week. The candidacy was unopposed, making it the fourth such USI election in the last five years.

Morning after pill debate heats up student union congress, but fails in tied vote

- USI to campaign for minimum wage to be paid to all adults
- Union to reduce carbon footprint, aims for carbon neutral
- Will push alcoholic awareness and a mental health week

A long and heated debate on the ‘morning after pill’ ended in what was described yesterday as the Union of Students in Ireland's first ever tied vote at their annual congress where delegates from student unions have been gathered this week.

Student union “slam” immigration bill

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) started their annual congress in Co Meath earlier today, the opening speech was made by Minister for Integration Conor Lenihan who delivered what the union called an anti-racism message.

COMMENT: Road safety must be taken seriously

The Irish Examiner reported Monday that there have been 63 lives lost in the 63 days so-far of of 2008, our story on drivers’ behaviour on a road near this college is just another of many indicators that making Irish roads safe is little more then something we would like to do, but it’s just too much effort for most. A statement last year from the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) shows the typical mentally in Ireland.

“The imposition of a tougher licensing regime on younger drivers is designed to address road safety concerns. USI welcomes the fact that the Government is determined to lower the number of accidents caused by inexperienced drivers,” said Peadar Hayes, the USI welfare officer. “But younger drivers are often quite dependent on their cars, and that is often by necessity.” Simply put, the union welcomes ways of stopping deaths, but not at the apparently extreme cost of inconveniencing students.

The union said the emphasis on improving road safety must be matched by “wholesale” public on transport improvements... Is there another way of reading this besides ‘no safety without public transport’?

And it gets worse, the now USI president, Hamid Khodabakhshi, said: “Protecting people’s mobility, safety, and the environment: these three watchwords must inform improvements to licensing and testing, but also improvements to public transport,”

Watchwords, more like buzzwords. What kind of nonsense is this? More people driving is good for the environment?