View source for University College Dublin Students' Union

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox students union
|name               = UCD Students' Union
|image              = 
|established        = 1975 
|institution        = [[University College Dublin]]
|location           = Old Student Centre, [[Belfield, Dublin]]
|president          = Michael Roche (as of 2025)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://universityobserver.ie/roche-rises-to-victory-in-presidential-race-all-unopposed-candidates-elected/ | website = universityobserver.ie | title = Roche Rises To Victory In Presidential Race, All Unopposed Candidates Elected | date = 4 April 2025 | accessdate = 6 April 2025 | quote = Michael Roche was declared winner on the first count after receiving 2,899 votes. | archive-date = 6 April 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250406034334/https://universityobserver.ie/roche-rises-to-victory-in-presidential-race-all-unopposed-candidates-elected/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
|free_label         = Membership
|free               = {{circa|30,000}} (as of 2015)<ref name="examiner"/>
|homepage           = {{url|ucdsu.ie}}
}}
'''University College Dublin Students' Union''' ('''UCDSU'''; {{langx|ga|Aontas na Mac Léinn COBÁC}}) is the [[students' union]] of [[University College Dublin]]. It is the largest students' union in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/ucd-students-union-makes-11m-sales-in-first-year-30330081.html|title=UCD students union makes €1.1m sales in first year | website = independent.ie|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="examiner">{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-20336796.html | work = Irish Examiner |title=Students' union sees loss of €121k as relocated ball flops|date=13 June 2015|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/usi-criticised-by-ucd-union-1.35635|title=USI criticised by UCD union|work=Irish Times|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=4 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204142200/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/usi-criticised-by-ucd-union-1.35635|url-status=live}}</ref>

The union was founded in 1975 as the successor of the Student Representative Council, with Enda Connolly acting as the organisation's first president.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://universityobserver.ie/a-brief-history-of-the-su/|title=A brief history of the SU|first=Sarah|last=Doran}}</ref> Its primary role is to represent its members views and defend their interests.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucdsu.ie/about/constitution|title=Constitution of UCD Students' Union, Article 2 - Fundamental Objectives|website=www.ucdsu.ie|access-date=8 March 2009|archive-date=25 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125044923/http://www.ucdsu.ie/about/constitution/|url-status=live}}</ref>

All students of UCD who are studying for a degree or postgraduate diploma of the [[National University of Ireland]] are, on registration at the university, members. In addition to its campaign work, the union also provides a number of welfare and education services and operates three shops.

==History==
The union has been involved in several social changes in Ireland – including selling condoms from 1979, when the sale of contraceptives without a prescription was still illegal. The Director of Public Prosecutions considered legal action against the union but ultimately demurred, believing the union was deliberately attempting to provoke a case and that the "clearly unconstitutional" 1935 law prohibiting their sale had "little or no chance of being upheld".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/dpp-said-ban-on-condoms-would-not-be-upheld-in-court-1.796549|title=DPP said ban on condoms would not be upheld in court|work=Irish Times|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=4 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204134739/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/dpp-said-ban-on-condoms-would-not-be-upheld-in-court-1.796549|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://universityobserver.ie/dpp-considered-legal-action-over-condoms-in-ucd/|title=DPP considered legal action over condoms in UCD|first=Quinton|last=O'Reilly|access-date=11 August 2019|archive-date=11 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811100449/https://universityobserver.ie/dpp-considered-legal-action-over-condoms-in-ucd/|url-status=live}}</ref> The sale of contraceptives without a prescription was finally legalised in 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ireland-allows-sale-of-contraceptives|title=Ireland allows sale of contraceptives|website=history.com|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=1 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201072056/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ireland-allows-sale-of-contraceptives|url-status=live}}{{better source|reason=Source confirms this text. But does not the connect the subject of this article to that text...|date=February 2024}}</ref>

The union has also been involved in campaigns for the right to publish information about abortion. In 1988, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (Spuc) threatened the union with legal action if information on abortion was published in its welfare guide.<ref name="irishtimes.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/ucd-students-union-marks-40th-anniversary-1.2146329|title=UCD students' union marks 40th anniversary|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |publisher=}}</ref> The union went ahead and published information on abortion clinics in Britain, and a case was taken against it, ''Spuc v. Coogan'', that was later joined by the Trinity College Student Union and Union of Students in Ireland in ''Spuc v. Grogan''. The case was initially dismissed in the High Court, on the basis that Spuc lacked standing, but Spuc ultimately prevailed in the Supreme Court leaving the unions involved with large legal fees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/supreme-court-to-hear-abortion-appeal-1.23459|title=Supreme Court to hear abortion appeal|work=Irish Times|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=4 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204134836/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/supreme-court-to-hear-abortion-appeal-1.23459|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="irishtimes.com"/> The case ultimately reached the [[European Court of Justice]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:61990CJ0159|title=EUR-Lex - 61990CJ0159 - EN - EUR-Lex|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|access-date=3 October 2018|archive-date=4 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004103802/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:61990CJ0159|url-status=live}}</ref> which established that under the [[Treaty of Rome]] abortion was a service and a Member State could not prohibit the distribution of information about a service legally provided in another Member State. While establishing the principle that Ireland could not block the publication of abortion information from foreign clinics or their agents, the court found that it was legal for Ireland to block information from third parties. The court, however, found against the students due to their status as unconnected third parties and leaving them with their costs. The provision of information on abortion services was ultimately legalised in the 1995 Abortion Information Act.<ref>{{cite web|title=Abortion information|website=citizensinformation.ie|publisher=Citizensinformation.ie|date=15 Nov 2017|url=http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health_services/women_s_health/abortion_information_the_law.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171218123859/http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health_services/women_s_health/abortion_information_the_law.html|archive-date=18 Dec 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=23 May 2025}}</ref>

As of the early 21st century, the union had some financial problems. A 2012 audit found shoddy financial practices devoid of checks and balances since 2007, racking up €1.4m in debt including nearly €400,000 in liability to the tax authorities,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/life/family/learning/ucd-student-union-racks-up-14m-debt-26842500.html|title=UCD student union racks up €1.4m debt|website=independent.ie|publisher=|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=30 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230231130/https://www.independent.ie/life/family/learning/ucd-student-union-racks-up-14m-debt-26842500.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ultimately requiring a bailout from UCD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ucd-bails-out-students-union-with-750000-loan-26842852.html|title=UCD bails out students' union with €750,000 loan|website=independent.ie|publisher=|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=30 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230231127/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ucd-bails-out-students-union-with-750000-loan-26842852.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Following this, the union incorporated as a limited liability company in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.duedil.com/company/IE514900/ucd-students-union-limited|title=DueDil|website=duedil.com}}</ref>

The union has had a "rocky relationship" with the national student union of Ireland, [[Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn]] (formerly USI) disaffiliating and reaffiliating several times over the years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/slim-vote-points-ucd-out-of-usi-1.130454|title=Slim vote points UCD out of USI|work=Irish Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/usi-woos-back-uni-unions-1.220807|title=USI woos back uni' unions|work=Irish Times }}</ref> The union decided to leave in a referendum in February 2013; 67% of students voted to leave the national union, reaffirming this in a 2016 with 74% of students voting for the union to remain outside of USI. Issues for disaffiliating cited by members of UCDSU included the ineffectual leadership of USI, transparency in its operations and the cost of affiliation of over €100,000.  UCDSU ceased being a member organisation on 1 July 2013,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/ucd-students-union-to-leave-usi-812180-Feb2013/|title=UCD students vote to leave national students' union|first=Gavan|last=Reilly|website=thejournal.ie |date=27 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0227/369891-ucd-usi-students/|title=UCD students split from USI|date=27 February 2013|website=rte.ie|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=4 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204083800/http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0227/369891-ucd-usi-students/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="irishtimes.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.universitytimes.ie/2013/02/ucd-disaffiliation/|title=UCD Students Vote to Disaffiliate from USI|website=www.universitytimes.ie|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=4 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204105325/http://www.universitytimes.ie/2013/02/ucd-disaffiliation/|url-status=live}}</ref> and remained as such until April 2025, following an affiliation referendum with 63.7% of voting students choosing to rejoin USI.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mahon |first1=Orla |date=4 April 2025 |first2=Adam |last2 = Schmitz |title=UCD Overwhelmingly Vote to Rejoin USI, With 63.7% of Students Voting to Rejoin |url=https://universityobserver.ie/ucd-overwhelmingly-vote-to-rejoin-usi-with-637-of-students-voting-to-rejoin/ |access-date=2025-06-19 |website=University Observer |language=en-ie}}</ref>

==Structure==
The main governing body of UCDSU is the union's council, which meets every second week of term.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.universityobserver.ie/2012/10/24/state-of-the-union/|title=University Observer report|publisher=|access-date=13 March 2013|archive-date=29 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429232114/http://www.universityobserver.ie/2012/10/24/state-of-the-union/|url-status=live}}</ref> The council is composed chiefly of class representatives elected in their respective constituencies. The council's power is conferred in a ''de facto'' manner on the Union Executive outside of term.

The Union Executive is composed of elected sabbatical and non-sabbatical officers as well as the union secretary.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} There are several sabbatical officers, who are involved in the day-to-day running of the union.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} The president and two nominated vice-presidents, as agreed by the executive, are student representatives on the UCD Governing Authority. A sabbatical term of office is twelve months in duration and commences on 1 July each year.{{fact|date=February 2024}} Sabbatical elections take place in late February–early March of each year. Sabbatical officers take a year out from academic studies and work full-time for the union.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

The composition of the union's council includes a number of full-time elected sabbatical executive officers, elected non-sabbatical executive officers, class representatives, campaign coordinators and an entertainments forum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ucdsu.ie/representation/constitution/|title=Article 8, Section 3 of the Constitution of UCD Students' Union|website=www.ucdsu.ie|access-date=12 January 2015|archive-date=20 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020084717/http://www.ucdsu.ie/representation/constitution/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2019}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ucdsu.ie University College Dublin Students' Union] &mdash; the official website of UCDSU.

{{Students' Unions in Ireland}}
{{University College Dublin}}

[[Category:Students' unions in Ireland]]
[[Category:University College Dublin]]