Wednesday, 21 September 2011
More bugging the council
Have had no reply thus far from the council regarding the issues I raised concerning the footpaths around the campus.
have shot of this letter today to the same chap.
Dear Sir,
I wrote to you on the 4th of August this year expressing my concerns regarding the state of the public infrastructure servicing NUI Galway’s main campus. I highlighted some serious accessibility issues and informed you on them and I am yet to hear a reply from your office.
Can you please explain to my why you feel it is appropriate to ignore my correspondence and why you see fit to disregard the issues facing students of NUIG facing adversity through reduced mobility?
I would appreciate very much the standard etiquette of your actually replying and acknowledging my correspondence. I have enclosed a further copy of the previous letter I sent you and awaiting your reply and comments on the issues I raised with patience.
Yours sincerely
William O’Brien BSc
Equality Officer.
I must say, it really is pretty rude to have ignored me for so long.
Quick update and nazis in Dublin
It’s been a while since I’ve updated this, it has certainly been a very busy few weeks.
So, we’re back. Summer’s well on the way out, freshers fortnight is over and it’s back to early dark, cold mornings, rain-coats and sensible shoes.
Welcome back to college in Galway!
First of I guess I better report on societies day, what an event that was. Propping up the Eco-Soc stall, the FEE stall and also the SU stall, I was more than a busy bee!
While I’m actually not sure exactly why there was even an SU stall, we are only situated permanently in an office in the same building, it was also only really manned by a few non-exec volunteers, lovely girls but they only really seemed to be collecting people’s mobile phone numbers for some unknown purpose.
FEE stall was awesome! I am over whelmed with response we got, the guys think we had around 600 people sign up to our mailing list which is unbelievable, I can only hope that 10% of those actually turn up to meetings and events, if this happens we will straightaway have a huge presence on campus at the very start of the year. Exciting times.
To celebrate our success we decided to hold a good old fashioned picket for a little photo op for the website and also, just for the laugh really. We pulled out a few of the ole placards and picketed the Young Fine Gael stall for around 2-3 mins, myself holding a placard that read simply “rabble!”.
While this was clearly a bit of a laugh, we managed to get told off by Riona, the societies manager and later on myself and Senan were told off by the SU Exec. Absolute non-sense in my opinion and something that I will take with a pinch of salt. Sooner or later these guys will learn the only really effective way to deal with people like me and Senan...
Great fun altogether it was.
In other news it has come to my attention that one of my favourite people in the world; nick griffin, has been invited to a debate in Trinity College Dublin, hosted by the ever so respected Phil Soc...
Personally I am absolutely disgusted with the Phil for this one, and the TCD Students’ Union for allowing this to happen unchallenged. This is outright offensive and amounts to nothing more than hosting a nazi rally. Nick Griffin, it is beyond any doubt is a disgusting and dangerous racist. He has been charged with the offence of inciting racial hatred, has had open links with the EDL, was a member of the English National Front and has campaigned against non-white people in the UK for most of his life. He is a holocaust denier, a homophobe and a nazi sympathiser and I find it outrageous that he has been given a legitimate platform to air his views in an Irish university.
For this reason I will be travelling up to Dublin for the event and doing everything I can to disrupt the event to prevent him from speaking and also, along with AFA Ireland, LM;HR and other anti-racist organisation will take part in a hopefully massive demonstration sending out a clear and concise message that racism will simply not be accepted in any Irish school and where it exists will be met with extreme opposition.
While I am and will always be a campaigner for freedom of speech and expression, I firmly believe that providing a legitimate and public platform for people to air views that are vile, counteractive and ultimately damaging to society extends far beyond our rights to freedom of speech.
In my view, people like nick griffin (no caps) have every right to speak and to express their views, they do not, however, have the right to a be made legitimate by framing their arguments on a proper platform, behind a microphone and in front of hundreds of students. If this forms part of out entitlement to free speech, I want to know when it is my turn to address a debate in TCD.
Another argument I made in an internet forum was that I have a friend who can put his ankles behind his head and shit his pants, should this be put up on a stage in front of a crowd or broadcast on TV? No. Of course not, it is vile, disgusting, damaging to society and sends out dangerous messages that it is ok to shit yourself in public. Does this interfere with my friend’s freedom of speech or expression? No. Of course not, people will argue that he has the right to shit his pants whenever he wants in the privacy of his own home and away from public.
The same goes for airing racist and damaging views.
People have fought for thousands of years, and millions have died in the fight for freedom of expression and freedom of speech. Who exactly do you think they were fighting against? Are these brave warriors wrong for silencing their enemies on the battlefield? Is this some sort of censorship? I don’ t think so. I don’t agree at all that confronting those who wish to take away freedoms such as the freedom of expression falls under the category of censorship, it is fighting for freedom and freedom of speech. These luxuries did not just fall out of the sky, they require constant fighting to keep, otherwise people like nick, nazi dick-hole griffin and his ilk will quickly take them away.
I look forward to the 20th of October though I have a strong suspicion that TDC will realise just how stupid they are being for hosting this man.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Fine Gael think-in blockade
What a day! For the past week or so both the SU here in NUIG and FEE Galway have been planning a protest against the rise in registration fees, recent cuts to the grant and the proposed reintroduction of third level education fees outside the Fine Gael annual party think-in which was this year in The Radisson Hotel here in Galway.
Both student organisations agreed to work together to create the strongest impact possible and I have to say it was a complete success!
The aim was to obstruct the front entrance as best we could, as Fine Gael's policies are sure to obstruct young people from accessing the education the need to get by in the world by any means necessary.
FEE decided to make some lock ons and physically block the road at the entrance this was done the week previously.
We all convened at Aras NaMacLeinn at mid day and prepared all the placards/banners etc and marched down to the Radisson along with the cycle soundsystem which I was riding, bangin out jungle along the way.
When we got to the Radisson, there were a few people there protesting against the closure of Roscommon general hospital who were brilliant comrades and whose numbers grew over the next few hours. There were a handful of Garda there and they seemed unconcerned when we assembled across the road with banners and stood there quietly. After composing ourselves and having the concrete filled lock-ons delivers we rushed across the road and Senan, Jigs and a few other made a mad effort to lock their arms in the lockons. The Gards responded quickly to this and quickly made off with two of the 3 lock one we brought but amid a pretty mad scuffle both of the lads managed to fit themselves to either end of the same pipe and lay in the middle of the road. By this point Gards were everywhere, they had little idea what was going on and they were pulling the two lads apart and trying for forcefully remove them from the lock ons.
The FEE guys immediately surrounded the guys and I started shouting at the guards to get off them and that they would break the arms of the 2 guys on the floor if they continued to use the force that they were employing. Once they stood back and actually THOUGH about the situation and addressed what was going on, instead of mindlessly reacting violently to any sort of protest as Gards seem to be trained to do, they clearly realised that the lock one were well enough to be designed to potentially seriously damage the users should they be forcefully removed.
The Gards then formed a barrier around the guys which FEE and the students from the Union assembled round and that was it, we, the students had successfully blocked the road.
While the guards were initially quite aggressive, there was a clear change in their behavior once they actually communicated with us, the protesters.
At one stage I was grabbed by the clothes and thrown across a metal barrier by a private security/worker of the hotel who after I challenged him refused to identify himself and informed me that I was on private property.
I pointed out that I was standing on a public road and he had just assaulted me while I was protesting peacefully and that he had no right whatsoever to manhandle me in such a way.
After questioning him for some time along with one of FEE's media people armed with a notebook and a camera I spotted his name tag around his neck and will be making a complaint with the Guards later this week. No private worker has ANY authority over me on a public road, no exceptions.
We spent the next few hours parked outside the hotel, things were cooling down with regard security and Garda and shortly after one o'clock the ministers and TDs started turning up.
One by one we informed them that their conference was cancelled and that they should return home and pick on someone who can afford it. TD after TD was turned away in this manner and forced to enter the hotel through the back door or any other entrance.
I even spotted one ministerial car that was 3 months out of road tax! Another report I will be making to the Garda traffic corp later this week.
We continued blocking the road, with me cycling around with the bike sound system playing music until the Fine Gael party members stopped arriving.
During this time I must commend the Gardai on how they behaved ourselves once it was well established that it was a peaceful protest, I suspect the number of law students and graduates present and acting as legal observes recording everything that happened may have had something to do with this. Regardless, they were very co-operative after about half an hour. Especially when it came to allowing workers and residents of the hotel in and out of the road. We made it very clear that NO members of the Dail were to pass. This was done by every car trying to pass the road block being asked who they were and what their business was, this was done by a member of FEE, and a Gard stopping talking to each and every driver.
There was press everywhere! Every time i looked around the 2 guys in lock ons were being interviewed for various radio and TV stations, I can't wait to hear the full reports.
We negotiated with the gards that we would end the blockade at 3.30pm after I spoke to Spt Marie Skehill and was told we could leave without being hindered. Spt Skehill had had bottles of water delivered and had given them to the guys in lock ons and other protesters. The level to which this pleased me cannot be put into words. Throughout the protest there were many comments and remarks speculating about the next budget in which it is highly likely that there will be another public sector pay cut, including the wages of the Gards themselves.
I informed them that we are in solidarity with them on that issue and that we would support them if it comes down to it.
We broke free from the lock-ons as we agreed and made our way back to the college. Shortly after arriving I was called up by a reporter with the Irish Times and asked about the end of the protest, who I was in relation to FEE and the SU (I was listed as PR spokesperson on the press release sent out by FEE the morning before). I explained the purpose of the protest to the reporter and that I was a SU Officer as well as a key FEE campaigner and I am looking forward to seeing the outcome of the interview.
All in all I think this was a huge success. We blocked any member of Fine Gael from entering the front door, we raised a huge profile for student protests, and the FEE movement and I'm sure will have students talking about it for the next few weeks. Thankfully also no one got arrested! :)
I am so proud of FEE Galway today, we are proving to everyone that we, and students in general are a serious force to be reckoned with.
Viva la revolution and long live FEE Galway!
Both student organisations agreed to work together to create the strongest impact possible and I have to say it was a complete success!
The aim was to obstruct the front entrance as best we could, as Fine Gael's policies are sure to obstruct young people from accessing the education the need to get by in the world by any means necessary.
FEE decided to make some lock ons and physically block the road at the entrance this was done the week previously.
We all convened at Aras NaMacLeinn at mid day and prepared all the placards/banners etc and marched down to the Radisson along with the cycle soundsystem which I was riding, bangin out jungle along the way.
When we got to the Radisson, there were a few people there protesting against the closure of Roscommon general hospital who were brilliant comrades and whose numbers grew over the next few hours. There were a handful of Garda there and they seemed unconcerned when we assembled across the road with banners and stood there quietly. After composing ourselves and having the concrete filled lock-ons delivers we rushed across the road and Senan, Jigs and a few other made a mad effort to lock their arms in the lockons. The Gards responded quickly to this and quickly made off with two of the 3 lock one we brought but amid a pretty mad scuffle both of the lads managed to fit themselves to either end of the same pipe and lay in the middle of the road. By this point Gards were everywhere, they had little idea what was going on and they were pulling the two lads apart and trying for forcefully remove them from the lock ons.
The FEE guys immediately surrounded the guys and I started shouting at the guards to get off them and that they would break the arms of the 2 guys on the floor if they continued to use the force that they were employing. Once they stood back and actually THOUGH about the situation and addressed what was going on, instead of mindlessly reacting violently to any sort of protest as Gards seem to be trained to do, they clearly realised that the lock one were well enough to be designed to potentially seriously damage the users should they be forcefully removed.
The Gards then formed a barrier around the guys which FEE and the students from the Union assembled round and that was it, we, the students had successfully blocked the road.
While the guards were initially quite aggressive, there was a clear change in their behavior once they actually communicated with us, the protesters.
At one stage I was grabbed by the clothes and thrown across a metal barrier by a private security/worker of the hotel who after I challenged him refused to identify himself and informed me that I was on private property.
I pointed out that I was standing on a public road and he had just assaulted me while I was protesting peacefully and that he had no right whatsoever to manhandle me in such a way.
After questioning him for some time along with one of FEE's media people armed with a notebook and a camera I spotted his name tag around his neck and will be making a complaint with the Guards later this week. No private worker has ANY authority over me on a public road, no exceptions.
We spent the next few hours parked outside the hotel, things were cooling down with regard security and Garda and shortly after one o'clock the ministers and TDs started turning up.
One by one we informed them that their conference was cancelled and that they should return home and pick on someone who can afford it. TD after TD was turned away in this manner and forced to enter the hotel through the back door or any other entrance.
I even spotted one ministerial car that was 3 months out of road tax! Another report I will be making to the Garda traffic corp later this week.
We continued blocking the road, with me cycling around with the bike sound system playing music until the Fine Gael party members stopped arriving.
During this time I must commend the Gardai on how they behaved ourselves once it was well established that it was a peaceful protest, I suspect the number of law students and graduates present and acting as legal observes recording everything that happened may have had something to do with this. Regardless, they were very co-operative after about half an hour. Especially when it came to allowing workers and residents of the hotel in and out of the road. We made it very clear that NO members of the Dail were to pass. This was done by every car trying to pass the road block being asked who they were and what their business was, this was done by a member of FEE, and a Gard stopping talking to each and every driver.
There was press everywhere! Every time i looked around the 2 guys in lock ons were being interviewed for various radio and TV stations, I can't wait to hear the full reports.
We negotiated with the gards that we would end the blockade at 3.30pm after I spoke to Spt Marie Skehill and was told we could leave without being hindered. Spt Skehill had had bottles of water delivered and had given them to the guys in lock ons and other protesters. The level to which this pleased me cannot be put into words. Throughout the protest there were many comments and remarks speculating about the next budget in which it is highly likely that there will be another public sector pay cut, including the wages of the Gards themselves.
I informed them that we are in solidarity with them on that issue and that we would support them if it comes down to it.
We broke free from the lock-ons as we agreed and made our way back to the college. Shortly after arriving I was called up by a reporter with the Irish Times and asked about the end of the protest, who I was in relation to FEE and the SU (I was listed as PR spokesperson on the press release sent out by FEE the morning before). I explained the purpose of the protest to the reporter and that I was a SU Officer as well as a key FEE campaigner and I am looking forward to seeing the outcome of the interview.
All in all I think this was a huge success. We blocked any member of Fine Gael from entering the front door, we raised a huge profile for student protests, and the FEE movement and I'm sure will have students talking about it for the next few weeks. Thankfully also no one got arrested! :)
I am so proud of FEE Galway today, we are proving to everyone that we, and students in general are a serious force to be reckoned with.
Viva la revolution and long live FEE Galway!
Monday, 22 August 2011
Love Music; Hate Racism
I was up in Dublin this weekend meeting the organisers of LM;HR here in Ireland.
I've been speaking to Kurt the founder for a while now and he knows I've done a lot of music promotion and organising in the past and was invited up to help run a fundraiser event across 3 floors near Temple Bar.
Was a great night, I managed to waylay myself messing around in Galway for half the afternoon fixing bike punctures and what not but managed to get up there for about 8.30-9pm or thereabouts.
It was a free entry gig, which is very important for awarenness events such as the LMHR movement but a little difficult to make money. Seemed to be all bands and live music, which was quite a change for me because these days I only seem to be involved in DJ and various other means of electronic music. Back to my musical roots of guitars and drums for the night. There were some amazing bands I must say, though I cannot remember any of the names, I will look them up and possibly get in touch!
The guys were raising money in order to get a stage sorted out for Electric Picnic, Irelands biggest alternative (and not-so-alternative) music festival.
They were doing this by selling raffel tickets with some pretty good prises.
There were 2 pairs of EP tickets going, at around €250 per ticket that's a pretty good deal. There was also an electric guitar given by one of their sponsors.
It was a mad night altogether with a serious amount of cash being raised, it looks like LMHR will more than likelyt be going to the picnic. I only hope I get invited along! (Hoping also that having access to one of the best soundsystems in the West of Ireland will help also!)
I spoke with Kurt about a few ideas I have for LM;HR. I want to look at organising nationwide university tours, something that doesn't happen very much in Ireland. I am hoping to do this through the USI, (Union of Students in Ireland) and have 3,4 or 5 legs for an Irish Universities tour for bigger bands that may come from the UK or further. It is so much easier to bring over an band or and act of if there are a few gigs, not to mention cheaper for individual promoters!
I need to discuss this at length with the USI Equality officer to see how possible this is. It really would be fantastic to set up a partnership between Irish university student unions and an organisation such as LMHR. Especially with this recession and the fact that everyone is looking for someone to blame for them losing their jobs or their houses being reposessed. Its such a shame that there are still, in this day and ages, where we know full well how much big finance, governments and global corporation have been raping us all for so long, that people STILL look for the easy targets such as blaming immigrants, Islam and all sorts of other retarded accusations.
It saddens me that such labels still actually mean much to most people. I wonder how long will it be until we see eachother for who we are, not what we appear to be.
I am very happy to be working with LMHR, music is very important to me, I cannot think of anything on Earth that does more to bring people together. We all dance, we all bang drums, we all sing and we all enjoy it, no matter what religion, skin colour, eye colour or any other trivial factor. I believe that music is the key to understanding these issues, or at the very least, the best distraction we have to avoid focussing on such silly differences.
Next step is to start making gigs happen here in Galway to spread the message, Love Music; Hate Racism!
Much Love. :)
LMHR Ireland's Blog
I've been speaking to Kurt the founder for a while now and he knows I've done a lot of music promotion and organising in the past and was invited up to help run a fundraiser event across 3 floors near Temple Bar.
Was a great night, I managed to waylay myself messing around in Galway for half the afternoon fixing bike punctures and what not but managed to get up there for about 8.30-9pm or thereabouts.
It was a free entry gig, which is very important for awarenness events such as the LMHR movement but a little difficult to make money. Seemed to be all bands and live music, which was quite a change for me because these days I only seem to be involved in DJ and various other means of electronic music. Back to my musical roots of guitars and drums for the night. There were some amazing bands I must say, though I cannot remember any of the names, I will look them up and possibly get in touch!
The guys were raising money in order to get a stage sorted out for Electric Picnic, Irelands biggest alternative (and not-so-alternative) music festival.
They were doing this by selling raffel tickets with some pretty good prises.
There were 2 pairs of EP tickets going, at around €250 per ticket that's a pretty good deal. There was also an electric guitar given by one of their sponsors.
It was a mad night altogether with a serious amount of cash being raised, it looks like LMHR will more than likelyt be going to the picnic. I only hope I get invited along! (Hoping also that having access to one of the best soundsystems in the West of Ireland will help also!)
I spoke with Kurt about a few ideas I have for LM;HR. I want to look at organising nationwide university tours, something that doesn't happen very much in Ireland. I am hoping to do this through the USI, (Union of Students in Ireland) and have 3,4 or 5 legs for an Irish Universities tour for bigger bands that may come from the UK or further. It is so much easier to bring over an band or and act of if there are a few gigs, not to mention cheaper for individual promoters!
I need to discuss this at length with the USI Equality officer to see how possible this is. It really would be fantastic to set up a partnership between Irish university student unions and an organisation such as LMHR. Especially with this recession and the fact that everyone is looking for someone to blame for them losing their jobs or their houses being reposessed. Its such a shame that there are still, in this day and ages, where we know full well how much big finance, governments and global corporation have been raping us all for so long, that people STILL look for the easy targets such as blaming immigrants, Islam and all sorts of other retarded accusations.
It saddens me that such labels still actually mean much to most people. I wonder how long will it be until we see eachother for who we are, not what we appear to be.
I am very happy to be working with LMHR, music is very important to me, I cannot think of anything on Earth that does more to bring people together. We all dance, we all bang drums, we all sing and we all enjoy it, no matter what religion, skin colour, eye colour or any other trivial factor. I believe that music is the key to understanding these issues, or at the very least, the best distraction we have to avoid focussing on such silly differences.
Next step is to start making gigs happen here in Galway to spread the message, Love Music; Hate Racism!
Much Love. :)
LMHR Ireland's Blog
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
A message to you Ruairi
Well now, it seems like a bit of Labour liars pants on fires this year. We have MInister of Education Ruairi Quinn signing a pledge last years with the USI stating that there would be no rise in registrations fees (already a stealth tax on students) and a rule out of the re-introduction of third level tuition fees.
Here we are only a few months down the line and he has already made a completel U-turn on this pledge, (after being elected of course) and announced a further rise in the registration fee, which was bumped up by €500 already last year.
This worries me greatly, it will put a lot of young people off the political system here, if for the first time the voted, it was on a single issue and were blatently lied to, who can blame the youth of today from becoming alienated from politics?
This is a dangerous precedent, if politicians think they can lie to our faces with such audacity and think they can get away with it they are very, very wrong.
I can see a huge surge in student activism and protests this year, we need it.
We cannot allow our governments to target our futures and out educations to pay off private bank debts that out generations never benefitted from in the first place!
It's disgusting. The Labout Party have earned a large portion of my attention for this year, pity for them.
Have fired of a letter to Ruairi Quinn today and another similar one to Derek Nolan, local Labour TD who won a lot of votes here in NUIG for his pro-free education statements republished in the form of election information posters made by FEE Galway.
Let the games begin.
Dear Sir
It is with great regret that I write to you to express my extreme dissatisfaction with your recent announcement on the imminent rise in the third level registration fee.
This is highly unfair to young people and targets those self financing their studies and those from lower income families and is a disgraceful action for a supposed Labour minister who very publically signed a pledge with the USI promising not to bring in any hikes in either registration fee or the reintroduction of fees in any way.
This move, I can promise you will be one that you yourself and your party will deeply regret. Young people, particularly students are becoming more and more alienated and radicalised and this unfair stealth tax targeting students may very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
I highly recommend you reconsider this plan to increase student fees of any kind.
Young people are the last people who are responsible for the economic crisis facing this country and should be the last people to be penalised.
It is also clear that new ideas, methods and technologies are out best bet to bring Ireland to becoming a profitable and sustainable country once again and it is only through Education and investment in education that we will progress.
Put shortly, yours and the Labour party’s barefaced lies to the youth of Ireland will not go unpunished and unchallenged. Already across the country student unions and the USI are mounting a defensive over this issue and I can promise you it will not be forgotten any time soon.
Yours sincerely
Will O'Brien BSc
Hopes that puts the shits up em :)
Here we are only a few months down the line and he has already made a completel U-turn on this pledge, (after being elected of course) and announced a further rise in the registration fee, which was bumped up by €500 already last year.
This worries me greatly, it will put a lot of young people off the political system here, if for the first time the voted, it was on a single issue and were blatently lied to, who can blame the youth of today from becoming alienated from politics?
This is a dangerous precedent, if politicians think they can lie to our faces with such audacity and think they can get away with it they are very, very wrong.
I can see a huge surge in student activism and protests this year, we need it.
We cannot allow our governments to target our futures and out educations to pay off private bank debts that out generations never benefitted from in the first place!
It's disgusting. The Labout Party have earned a large portion of my attention for this year, pity for them.
Have fired of a letter to Ruairi Quinn today and another similar one to Derek Nolan, local Labour TD who won a lot of votes here in NUIG for his pro-free education statements republished in the form of election information posters made by FEE Galway.
Let the games begin.
Dear Sir
It is with great regret that I write to you to express my extreme dissatisfaction with your recent announcement on the imminent rise in the third level registration fee.
This is highly unfair to young people and targets those self financing their studies and those from lower income families and is a disgraceful action for a supposed Labour minister who very publically signed a pledge with the USI promising not to bring in any hikes in either registration fee or the reintroduction of fees in any way.
This move, I can promise you will be one that you yourself and your party will deeply regret. Young people, particularly students are becoming more and more alienated and radicalised and this unfair stealth tax targeting students may very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
I highly recommend you reconsider this plan to increase student fees of any kind.
Young people are the last people who are responsible for the economic crisis facing this country and should be the last people to be penalised.
It is also clear that new ideas, methods and technologies are out best bet to bring Ireland to becoming a profitable and sustainable country once again and it is only through Education and investment in education that we will progress.
Put shortly, yours and the Labour party’s barefaced lies to the youth of Ireland will not go unpunished and unchallenged. Already across the country student unions and the USI are mounting a defensive over this issue and I can promise you it will not be forgotten any time soon.
Yours sincerely
Will O'Brien BSc
Hopes that puts the shits up em :)
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
New Engineering building tour
Just back from a guided tour of the new engineering building on the North side of campus.
This is part of my intention to inspect all new buildings on campus and my first inspection yet.
I have to say I am very impressed with the level of attention paid to access and disability requirements in the design and construction of the building.
I was met by Greg Power and Kevin Sullivan of the buildings office who were to be my tour guides. Both are clearly very experienced and learned on the subject of disabled access and also very pleasant and friendly chaps.
Straight away I noticed that the reception desk featured a dropped section, suitable for people in wheelchairs etc, this was a good first impression.
On the ground floor I inspected the lifts and washrooms which appeared to be satisfactory. There no steps on the way in from any entrance which greatly helps accessibility.
I was shown the main large lecture theatre on the ground floor, the Dr Higgins theatre which I had already heard horror stories about. I can see why in a sense, the lecture rows are stacked very steeply though I have to say I found the theatre to be very comfortable and possess an amazing panorama of the teaching area, the rows are stacked high with very good reason, engineering students will not be looking at the back of each other’s heads they way most science and arts students have to in many theatres.
This theatre was accessible from the front and the back with seat less rows at both suitable for wheelchair users. There was ample electricity within reach of these areas for recharging etc. It was also pointed out to me that all the doors in the building were black with light grey or white panelling which is essential for either colour blind people or those who are otherwise visually impaired. I was also informed that the entire building was fitted with induction loops for hearing aids.
All of the corridors are comfortable wide enough to allow two wheelchairs to pass each other and there are breakout areas on every floor that are suitably designed. The canteen area shows no potential access problems. Greg and Kevin mentioned to me that they had looked into having a dropped service counter but were advised against it due to the increased change of hot food or drinks being spilled which I completely understand. I noticed also that all of the lights are motion activated, eliminating the need for switches and the electrical switches that I did see, that controlled blinds, the lifts and various other things, were low down and comfortable reachable from a standing or sitting position
Throughout the building there are lots of examples of fitted furnishing with plenty of flat floor area surrounding I can envisage very few access problems when it comes to any of the fitting furniture. There are unfitted tables and chairs that have already found their way to obstructing few offices and rooms but this is inevitable. I imagine of anyone who starts working there or studying there will very quickly be catered for. From an access point of view I have to say once again that I am very impressed with the level of attention that has clearly been paid to this building.
From a student’s point of view the building is a working display model of modern engineering. Throughout the building there are cut away sections so that the structure of the building can be observed, from piping and wiring in some areas to viable concrete and rebar sections. In some areas the main supports can be viewed and the many parts of the building are digitally monitored and readouts of the various stresses and strains put on the supporting structures can be read and monitored. This way engineering students can solve problems and observe the structure of the very building they are studying. It’s fantastic. I’m only gutted I’m studying science this year.
One thing I did notice was that the computer suites currently had no larger monitors, needed for people who are visually impaired. I was told this was the responsibility of ISS department and that any needs would be catered for within a matter of hours. I will take it upon myself to notify ISS that it may be a good idea to have a few extra large monitors and workstations set up for high contrast as well as a few roller ball mouses and larger keyboards should they be required. This is a minor issue that can be solved very quickly. One thing that did concern me a little was that the emergency alarms in the toilets are not linked to any external sources and only set off a local alarm on the one floor. Also the elevators, while very accessible and well designed, had emergency phones in them that linked directly to a call center in the UK. I do not know which call center and I do not know what hours they are reachable by. This is something to look into, I assume this building is open until around 10pm at night like most of the rest of campus, I only hope the answer to the call for help is open these hours also or someone is bound to spend a very unpleasant night in an elevator.
I will return and have a look around the place on my own in the next few week so that I can avoid what I call “tour guide blindness” and have a fresh look.
I found Greg and Kevin very amicable and approachable people, I look forward to meeting with them in the future and working with them to quickly solve any problems that might occur throughout the year regarding access.
That’s all for now, I have a further meeting this afternoon with the commercial services managers concerning some gigs I want to organise in the College bar for Equality week . Watch this space ;)
Peace and love bros
This is part of my intention to inspect all new buildings on campus and my first inspection yet.
I have to say I am very impressed with the level of attention paid to access and disability requirements in the design and construction of the building.
I was met by Greg Power and Kevin Sullivan of the buildings office who were to be my tour guides. Both are clearly very experienced and learned on the subject of disabled access and also very pleasant and friendly chaps.
Straight away I noticed that the reception desk featured a dropped section, suitable for people in wheelchairs etc, this was a good first impression.
On the ground floor I inspected the lifts and washrooms which appeared to be satisfactory. There no steps on the way in from any entrance which greatly helps accessibility.
I was shown the main large lecture theatre on the ground floor, the Dr Higgins theatre which I had already heard horror stories about. I can see why in a sense, the lecture rows are stacked very steeply though I have to say I found the theatre to be very comfortable and possess an amazing panorama of the teaching area, the rows are stacked high with very good reason, engineering students will not be looking at the back of each other’s heads they way most science and arts students have to in many theatres.
This theatre was accessible from the front and the back with seat less rows at both suitable for wheelchair users. There was ample electricity within reach of these areas for recharging etc. It was also pointed out to me that all the doors in the building were black with light grey or white panelling which is essential for either colour blind people or those who are otherwise visually impaired. I was also informed that the entire building was fitted with induction loops for hearing aids.
All of the corridors are comfortable wide enough to allow two wheelchairs to pass each other and there are breakout areas on every floor that are suitably designed. The canteen area shows no potential access problems. Greg and Kevin mentioned to me that they had looked into having a dropped service counter but were advised against it due to the increased change of hot food or drinks being spilled which I completely understand. I noticed also that all of the lights are motion activated, eliminating the need for switches and the electrical switches that I did see, that controlled blinds, the lifts and various other things, were low down and comfortable reachable from a standing or sitting position
Throughout the building there are lots of examples of fitted furnishing with plenty of flat floor area surrounding I can envisage very few access problems when it comes to any of the fitting furniture. There are unfitted tables and chairs that have already found their way to obstructing few offices and rooms but this is inevitable. I imagine of anyone who starts working there or studying there will very quickly be catered for. From an access point of view I have to say once again that I am very impressed with the level of attention that has clearly been paid to this building.
From a student’s point of view the building is a working display model of modern engineering. Throughout the building there are cut away sections so that the structure of the building can be observed, from piping and wiring in some areas to viable concrete and rebar sections. In some areas the main supports can be viewed and the many parts of the building are digitally monitored and readouts of the various stresses and strains put on the supporting structures can be read and monitored. This way engineering students can solve problems and observe the structure of the very building they are studying. It’s fantastic. I’m only gutted I’m studying science this year.
One thing I did notice was that the computer suites currently had no larger monitors, needed for people who are visually impaired. I was told this was the responsibility of ISS department and that any needs would be catered for within a matter of hours. I will take it upon myself to notify ISS that it may be a good idea to have a few extra large monitors and workstations set up for high contrast as well as a few roller ball mouses and larger keyboards should they be required. This is a minor issue that can be solved very quickly. One thing that did concern me a little was that the emergency alarms in the toilets are not linked to any external sources and only set off a local alarm on the one floor. Also the elevators, while very accessible and well designed, had emergency phones in them that linked directly to a call center in the UK. I do not know which call center and I do not know what hours they are reachable by. This is something to look into, I assume this building is open until around 10pm at night like most of the rest of campus, I only hope the answer to the call for help is open these hours also or someone is bound to spend a very unpleasant night in an elevator.
I will return and have a look around the place on my own in the next few week so that I can avoid what I call “tour guide blindness” and have a fresh look.
I found Greg and Kevin very amicable and approachable people, I look forward to meeting with them in the future and working with them to quickly solve any problems that might occur throughout the year regarding access.
That’s all for now, I have a further meeting this afternoon with the commercial services managers concerning some gigs I want to organise in the College bar for Equality week . Watch this space ;)
Peace and love bros
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
The Great Gas Giveaway, the sale of Irelands natural resources
Working on a draft statement on the sovereignty Ireland's natural resources to present to the SU. It was decided at the last Exec meeting that the SU would be happy to make a public statement regarding the ownership of our resources. This is a very contraversial issue that is tied in with the shell2sea campaign. Though falling short or issuing a solidarity statement with shell2sea, this is a huge step for student politics in Galway to take a stance on a political issue such as this.
It is understandable that many of the exec are hesitant to be seen in solidarity with shel2sea, their actions and tactics ARE contraversial.
What is important to me is that this Student Unions is not afraid to stand up and fight for a cause that represents and is in the interest of all young people in the country.
Previous Fianna Fail governments have given this country a terrible deal in the selling off of our oil and gas reserves, Ireland has among the lowest rate of tax for gas extraction in the world and is estimated to have significant deposits.
"Dick Spring - 20th October 1987 – then leader of the Labour Party on the introduction of the giveaway terms introduced by Ray Burke which were subsequently improved (for the oil companies) 5 years later by Bertie Ahern.
“We will now, as a result of the changes this Government have made, get absolutely no return whatever from the development of any foreseeable oil find .....
What is most serious about this development is that there has been, up to now, a certain level of national consensus about how we should view our natural resources — even parties that did not really believe it were prepared to pay lip service to the notion that the natural resources of Ireland belonged to the people of Ireland. In the breaking of that consensus, and in their cold-blooded decision to give those resources away, Fianna Fáil have committed what I have already described as an act of economic treason, one for which I believe they should not be forgiven by the young people and by the people at large.”"
From S2S website.
Ray Burke was since charged with and convicted for corruption.
The changes made to legislation were further amended in favour of BIG OIL by the lovable Bertie Aherne, a picture of honesty and intergrity in Irish politics...
Known as the Great Gas Giveaway the changes in Irish Law on 1987 (Burke) and 1992 (Aherne) allow multinational oil companies to;
-Own 100% of the oil and gas they find under Irish waters
-Pay no royalties on it
-Be allowed to write off 100% of costs against tax, including costs incurred outside of Ireland
-Have profits taxed at only 25% (International average is 68%)
-Export oil and gas ouside of Ireland
-Sell to Bord Gais at full market price, the same as imported gas
To me it is quite evident that these conditions while hugely favourable to the oil companies granted exploration and extractin licences, is not very beneficial to the people of Ireland.
OUR natural resources are being exploited here, being taken out from under our feet and we are getting barely anything in return while the multinationals involved are open to making billions of euros in profits.
In a time is economic recession, where all public sectors are facing severe cuts, we are seeing welfare lines through the doors and students are being denied a quality educations, haveing grants cut and reg fees increased, I fiond it hard to believe that the deals made by politican known to be corrupt, with the worlds largest oil companies are not being re-examined.
It is high time that the Great Gas Giveaway was re-looked at and a better deal was negotiated for the people of Ireland for our natural resources.
This is why I am pushing the Union to issue a statement on the ownership of natural resources, because they belong to ALL of us, not some few corrupt politicos to sell off quickly to multinationals to make a bit of short term profit.
It is understandable that many of the exec are hesitant to be seen in solidarity with shel2sea, their actions and tactics ARE contraversial.
What is important to me is that this Student Unions is not afraid to stand up and fight for a cause that represents and is in the interest of all young people in the country.
Previous Fianna Fail governments have given this country a terrible deal in the selling off of our oil and gas reserves, Ireland has among the lowest rate of tax for gas extraction in the world and is estimated to have significant deposits.
"Dick Spring - 20th October 1987 – then leader of the Labour Party on the introduction of the giveaway terms introduced by Ray Burke which were subsequently improved (for the oil companies) 5 years later by Bertie Ahern.
“We will now, as a result of the changes this Government have made, get absolutely no return whatever from the development of any foreseeable oil find .....
What is most serious about this development is that there has been, up to now, a certain level of national consensus about how we should view our natural resources — even parties that did not really believe it were prepared to pay lip service to the notion that the natural resources of Ireland belonged to the people of Ireland. In the breaking of that consensus, and in their cold-blooded decision to give those resources away, Fianna Fáil have committed what I have already described as an act of economic treason, one for which I believe they should not be forgiven by the young people and by the people at large.”"
From S2S website.
Ray Burke was since charged with and convicted for corruption.
The changes made to legislation were further amended in favour of BIG OIL by the lovable Bertie Aherne, a picture of honesty and intergrity in Irish politics...
Known as the Great Gas Giveaway the changes in Irish Law on 1987 (Burke) and 1992 (Aherne) allow multinational oil companies to;
-Own 100% of the oil and gas they find under Irish waters
-Pay no royalties on it
-Be allowed to write off 100% of costs against tax, including costs incurred outside of Ireland
-Have profits taxed at only 25% (International average is 68%)
-Export oil and gas ouside of Ireland
-Sell to Bord Gais at full market price, the same as imported gas
To me it is quite evident that these conditions while hugely favourable to the oil companies granted exploration and extractin licences, is not very beneficial to the people of Ireland.
OUR natural resources are being exploited here, being taken out from under our feet and we are getting barely anything in return while the multinationals involved are open to making billions of euros in profits.
In a time is economic recession, where all public sectors are facing severe cuts, we are seeing welfare lines through the doors and students are being denied a quality educations, haveing grants cut and reg fees increased, I fiond it hard to believe that the deals made by politican known to be corrupt, with the worlds largest oil companies are not being re-examined.
It is high time that the Great Gas Giveaway was re-looked at and a better deal was negotiated for the people of Ireland for our natural resources.
This is why I am pushing the Union to issue a statement on the ownership of natural resources, because they belong to ALL of us, not some few corrupt politicos to sell off quickly to multinationals to make a bit of short term profit.
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