Stage 3 General Nursing, SU mental health campaigns coordinator and current secretary for UCD's LGBTQ society is seeking to become UCD's next Welfare Officer. Her campaign is built upon an ethos of collaboration, increased support for students and striking the right balance between case work and campaigns.
This year’s UCDSU Executive Elections see three candidates running for the position of Welfare Officer. Stage 3 General Nursing Ciara Donohue is one of them.
Asked what most qualifies her for the role of Welfare Officer, Ciara Donohue cites the extensive experience in nursing her course has provided, "throughout my course in nursing, I've completed forty-one weeks of practice placement so far. I've had a lot of interactions with the general public and I've seen people on the worst days of their lives and the best. I'm quite competent at interacting with those people and helping those people through those difficult times." Further, Donohue highlights her work as the SU's mental-health campaigns co-ordinator since January which has given her firsthand knowledge of "how the union works and why the work of the union is important in UCD," and her experience as UCD LGBTQ+ societies secretary.
“I've seen people on the worst days of their lives and the best.”
Donohue contends that this experience gives her strong insight into that most sensitive of the Welfare Officer's roles: individual casework. Donohue is keenly aware of the importance of this aspect of the job, but also makes clear that there needs to be a balance struck between casework and those measures and campaigns a Welfare Officer can implement on behalf of UCD students as a collective. "I think you would be doing a disservice to the general student body if that was to be all that you do with the role. I think there has to be balance between the other campaigns you would do in order to improve the welfare experience of all students on a wider level."
Mandate limits; i.e how many years a person can fill the role of an SU sabbatical officer is always a debated issue. When quizzed about her stance, Donohue offers a measured response. "A very personal question to that individual, if they still feel like they represent the students or not … if you're too long gone you don't represent the student experience to the best of your ability." On the other hand, Donohue highlights the wealth of experience returning officers provide, and their ability to see long term campaigns through; "A lot that can't be achieved in one year."
Asked what the three main issues facing students are, Donohue cites housing, the cost of living crisis, health and mental health supports – "barriers to students getting their education." And it's on the last issues, access to supports, that her manifesto focuses on.
Donohue is a strong advocate for the hiring of more campus therapists. "We currently don't have enough counsellors in UCD. We’re way below the recommended number. We are currently at less than half of the recommended ratios of counsellors to students." When asked if she supported such mental-health services being provided outside campus, but still at the discounted rates, Donohue voiced opposition. "Our students shouldn't have to travel outside their university to receive their counselling, it should be provided by the university. I don't think it's fair to students to be sourced to outside bodies."
“Our students shouldn't have to travel outside their university to receive their counselling, it should be provided by the university. I don't think it's fair to students to be sourced to outside bodies.”
The University Observer’s conversation with Donohue in relation to the provision of on-campus GP services follows a similar pattern: advocacy for further hirings and increased availability of services, but with outsourcing emphasised as a measure of last resort. However, all this hiring of new staff does beg the question: where is the money going to come from?
Donohue believes that it, "Could come from the welfare officer’s budget or UMT SEG (UMT Student Experience Group) or collaborate with the other university organisation such as Health UCD – areas where you can use funding that isn't from the SU's budget." Further, Donohue criticises UCD for frivolous expenditure and argues that UCD boards should put the students at the forefront of any spending decisions: "[There are] lots of ways the university is spending money that it doesn't have to. We've all heard of the business class flights, and how much the university has spent on those this past year."
“We've all heard of the business class flights, and how much the university has spent on those this past year.”
Beyond the hiring of new staff, Donohue has a diverse array of measures she wants implemented. Recognizing the fact that many students are also juggling part-time jobs, Donohue would host information sessions on employee rights; wishes to dip into the SU budget to increase the provision of commuter breakfasts to twice a week; hopes to revamp SHAG week by including more sexual health information alongside fun events. She also wants to exploit her connection with LGBTSoc in order to craft a trans student handbook which would furnish students with vital information about trans supports and services in the Dublin area.
Turning towards union engagement, Donohue believes that this year has seen a marked improvement on past years, citing the number of contested positions as a sign of increased Union awareness. Asked how she would tackle the issue of engagement herself, Donohue advocates for modifying the practice of lecture addressing at the start of term to include all years – not just freshers – and an increased usage of the union's social media to make students more aware of the services that are available to them.