98% of students from the National College of Art and Design Students’ Union (NCADSU) voted to remain with the Union of Students in Ireland (AMLÉ). Polls opened at 11am on Thursday 6th of April and closed at 4:30pm.
Speaking after the result was announced, AMLÉ President Annie Hoey thanked the campaign team and the lead taken by NCADSU in the referendum. “AMLÉ look forward to working with NCADSU in the future and welcome the team on board. In the time where student loans are on the table at Government and publicly funded higher education is within our grasp now is the time for the student movement to come together and show our mettle”.
Hoey continued, “NCADSU joined AMLÉ for the exceptional training we provide, for the network we have built among students and Students’ Unions and the support we lend to our members. We hope we can do NCADSU justice. The next step is that our National Council ratifies NCADSU as full members of AMLÉ”.
NCADSU President Muiriosa Guinan said, “We feel that this was a very important decision to be made within NCADSU and for the students we represent , and it comforting that NCAD students want to play more of a central role with AMLÉ and in the national student movement . We are looking forward to engaging with AMLÉ and working together to fight for free education and making Ireland a more inclusive society for students and future generations”.
Vice President for Welfare and Dublin Region, Cian Power, said, “I’m delighted to see NCADSU join AMLÉ and fight alongside us and other colleges in Ireland for publicly funded higher education. We are better together”.
NCADSU initiated the referendum to join AMLÉ with a Q&A for class reps this week. NCAD students voted to join AMLÉ on April 6th, 2017 through a referendum in tandem with their own Students’ Union elections and a referendum for the Students’ Union to campaign to repeal the 8th amendment. AMLÉ is a membership based organisation with 354,000 members, and counting. AMLÉ protects and improves the lives of students across Ireland on a daily basis.
NCADSU after the announcement of 98% of students joining AMLÉ
Polls opened at 11am on Thursday 6th of April and closed at 4:30pm