"This is our space": Athlone students' union protests possible loss of facility

Students at TUS in Athlone staged a protest this week against what they say are plans to reduce the amount of space currently allocated to the students' union on campus.

Darcy Lawless, Deputy President of the TUS students' union, said it received an email from the TUS estates office last week saying it was planning to convert what is currently known as the students' union's relaxation room into a pool-playing facility.

He said that the relaxation room currently served a number of functions in the students' union, and was used for the distribution of free goodie bags for students, and free period products which are supplied on campus all year round.

It was also being used as a store for items belonging to people who get evicted from their accommodation and don't currently have their own housing.

"(The room) is massively important to us, and we have big plans for it as well. We want to make it into a meeting room so that all students can use it and book it for events free of charge.

"The students' union and the students are protesting in the students' best interests. We refuse to let the college take away this space and ultimately take away essential student supports."

In a video posted on the students' union Instagram page on Wednesday, students are shown holding signs which read, 'College Stay In Your Place' and 'This Is A Student Space'.

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent yesterday (Thursday) evening, Darcy was critical of the lack of consultation with the students' union about the proposed change.

"There was no discussion. They never asked us our opinion on the proposal, and we never met this person from estates before they sent us an email saying this is happening and that's it," he said.

"We've let (management in TUS) know that we're not happy," he said, adding that he feared the loss of the relaxation room could then lead to a further reduction in students' union facilities in the coming years.

Darcy said that, in the years since the closure of the former Scribes bar on campus, the students' union in Athlone had put over €150,000 into its redevelopment and refurbishment for use as offices and other facilities.

The Westmeath Independent contacted a TUS spokesperson on this issue, and was told a response would be issued early next week.