http___www.universitytimes.ie_2017_07_tri-throid-ar-son-comhionannas-posta-sa-tuaisceart-ta-deis-ag-mic-leinn-athru-a-chinntiu__1.xml
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On the eve of Article 50’s triggering, the Union of Students’ in Ireland (USI) this evening voted to campaign to protect the “rights and values” of students, uniting Northern and Southern students against the the impact of Brexit. The vote at USI’s national congress was unanimous in its support of mandating the union to campaign for students during the UK’s negotiations with the EU, and any subsequent negotiations between the Irish government and the UK. USI represents students in Northern Ireland, working with the National Union of Students (NUS), the UK’s national student union, to represent over 200,000 thousand students, and many speakers from the north of Ireland took part in the debate. No one spoke against the motion, and numerous speakers referenced the now-familiar concerns over the status of the border, freedom of movement and the rights of Northern Irish citizens following UK’s exit from the EU. Sean Fearon, President of Queen’s University Students’ Union (QUBSU), described Brexit as a “source of deep frustration for citizens of the North”. The issue, he said, “will impact every single person on the island of Ireland, particular the North and particularly students”. Kevin McStravock, President-elect of Ulster University Students’ Union (UUSU), echoed these concerns, criticising the lack of leadership on the issue in both Northern Ireland and the UK. “We need to show our elected representatives what real leadership looks like.” Oisin Hassan, the QUBSU Education Officer, emphasised that students needed to speak with a “collective voice”, while Colum Mackey, President of UUSU, took a similar stance, arguing that “we need students North and South to unite and take the lead”. Dylan McGowan, President of Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT), emphasised the close ties between his institution and Ulster, in particular the university’s Magee campus. Fergal McFerran, President of NUS-USI, which represents students in Northern Ireland, spoke briefly about the dangers of Brexit and what it will mean for students and residents of Northern Ireland. The North, he said, had been powerless in Brexit: “If the people of the north of Ireland wanted to leave the the EU, we would have voted for it.” Brexit, which enjoyed little support among the UK’s younger generation, was most staunchly opposed by universities and higher education institutions, with many expressing concern about the impact on academics, researchers and funding. As negotiations begin, numerous universities have established taskforces and working groups to assess the opportunities and challenges of Brexit, while the Irish Universities Association (IUA) is also lobbying the Minister for Education, Richard Bruton, on the issue, as negotiations begin in Europe. Dominic McGrath was reporting from USI’s congress in Ennis, Co Clare.
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I mí na Márta 2017, in Inis i gContae an Chláir, thug an duine a bhí ina uachtarán-tofa ar Aontas na Mac Léinn Ollscoil na Banríona, Béal Feirste (QUBSU), Stephen McCrystal óráid spreagúil faoin ngá do mhic léinn a n-aird a dhíriú ar athrú forchéimní i dTuaisceart Éireann. Agus é ag labhairt do chéadta toscairí ón Tuaisceart agus ón Deisceart an oileáin seo, toscairí a rinne ionadaíocht do chéadta mílte mic léinn sa bhreis, d’áitigh McCrystal ag comhthionól náisiúnta Aontais na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ) go raibh sé bréan de dhaoine a bhí ag gearán faoi bheartais aischéimnitheacha a chuir ceannairí cosúil le hUachtarán na Stát Aontaithe, Donald Trump chun cinn agus na beartas chéanna i reim le fada i stát a bhfuil i réim ar chuid den oileán seo. Anois tá mic léinn, atá fós ag ceiliúradh go bhfuil Éire mar an chéad tír ar domhan a chuir comhionannas pósta i bhfeidhm trí reifreann, ag tabhairt faoi deara na conspóide móire a bhaineann le beartais an DUP agus iad tagtha ar ról cumhachtach tar éis an ollthoghcháin sa Ríocht Aontaithe. Leoga, is dea-chaidreamh atá idir mic léinn ar an dá thaobh den teorainn, rud a bhí á léiriú nuair a thagann AMLÉ agus Aontas Náisiúnta na Mac Léinn sa Bhreatain (NUS) le chéile. Níl an caidreamh seo chomh soiléir is a bhí sé sa tiomantas chun chomhionannas pósta a chur i bhfeidhm. Sa bhliain 2015, agus an Phoblacht ag ullmhú vótaa chaitheamh faoin gceist, tháinig mic léinn ó Thuaisceart Éireann theas chun feachtasaíocht agus máirseálacha a dhéanamh. Ag Lá an Mhórtais i mBaile Átha Cliath, tháinig siad theas chun an dul chun cinn a cheiliúradh agus chinntigh a chairde i mBaile Átha Cliath go raibh easpa cearta pósta mar bhuncheist mhór reatha. An tseachtain seo caite, thaisteal ionadaithe ó USI agus Aontas na Mac Léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide chuig Tuaisceart Éireann, ag cur a ngutha le héileamh do phósadh chomhghnéis. Is minic a bhítear ag scigmhagadh faoi aontais na mac léinn agus iad ag gearán faoi rudaí faoina bhfuil siad gan mórán tionchair, de réir a lán daoine, cibé acu staid Iosrael agus Palaistín nó beartais Trump a bhfuil i gceist. Níl reifrinn, ar ndóigh, riachtanach i dTuaisceart Éireann chun comhionannas pósta a chur i bhfeidhm. Ní bhaineann an fhadhb le háiteamh ar an bpobal, ach dul i ngleic le cumhachtroinnt. Tá sé seo deacair do fheachtas a bhfuil tacaíocht na ndaoine aige, nuair atá gné den stát féin mar chonstaic. Ach, mar NUS agus USI, is féidir le mic léinn ar an dá thaobh den teorainn comhiobriú. Agus mic léinn anseo ag ullmhú do reifreann faoin ochtú leasú, is féidir leo troid ar son cearta pósta a gcairde sa Tuaisceart trí fhreastal ar mháirseálacha, brústocaireacht a dhéanamh ar rialtas na hÉireann agus ar Shinn Féin – an páirtí amháin a bhfuil ról aige ar fud an oileáin – chun cinntiú nach imeoidh an cheist seo ó bhéal an phobail.