It's Been a While

Being on holidays this week has actually given me a chance to give a bit of an update.

GET YOUR GRANT APPLICATIONS IN. CHECKOUT studentfinance.ie FOR ALL THE INFO YOU NEED

MAJOR NEWS: The reduced rate Student Contribution of €1,500 will be administered by the Revenue Commissioners. €2,000 per student will still have to be paid to each institution, but a tax credit of €500 will apply for the 2nd and subsequent students in a household.

I haven't been up to much out of the ordinary. In two and a half weeks Tara will take over and I've been spending some time with her, going to meetings etc. A handover document is unfortunately still lacking completion, which is entirely my fault.

So some bits I've been at:

• The Alcohol Working Group needs a bit more insight to reality. Ignoring what some students drinking habits include and simply 'banning' them isn't going to work. Prohibition doesn't work, that's why the US repealed it. This needs to be worked through practically, not idealogically.
  
• There were some excellent ideas last week at the Please Talk Steering Committee. For anyone interested, contact Tara who is looking into having a campus PT Committee, it's on my 'didn't get round to it' list.
  
• I've been planning for the coup, looking at ideas to make your Union more accountable and democratic.
  
• I've sent the Foundation a proposal for a scholarship for those who fall just outside the limits of the Higher Education Grant that would be worth 15 hours minimum wage work per week for 3 students in each faculty. The donation level required for this would be almost €1.5 million to sustain it forever, so it's a big ask, but I hope to set up a meeting with the Director of the Foundation to put the case to him in person.
  A key feature of my two terms which will come with me into my term as President is the need to recognise that the students who are least supported are those who are seen to be doing alright, who don't form part of any minority and who don't have wealthy families to rely on.
  
  There's a lot of boring stuff that goes on, but I was delighted to be part of the interview panel for the position of General Manager. It was gruelling, stressful, interesting and rewarding, both for us and the candidates interviewed.
  
  While it was an experience that I gained a lot from, it is not an experience I would want to repeat too often. It was one of the most stressful days of my life.
  
  Being realistic about it, I'll probably be President before I get another blog done, so let me say thank you to all of you, each and every one of you who bothers to read these. It's been a great 2 years, where I've helped I'm glad I could, where I couldn't I hope I was able to point you in the right direction, and if anything fell through the gaps, sincerely, I apologise.
  
  Mind yourselves,
  
  D