The Central Societies Committee has today granted provisional society status to Trinity Social Democrats, Trinity News has learned. This follows from a signature campaign and effort to see the party recognised on campus which was started last September, before teaching started in College. During a meeting in the Graduate Memorial Building on that occasion, representatives of the party spoke to students about plans to establish party affiliated societies within Trinity and other universities.

Former USI president Joe O’Connor and Trinity alumna Hannah McCarthy led that informal proceeding, though student Ronan Mac Giolla Rua was one of the main students organising for recognition of the party. Mac Giolla Rua was pleased with the decision of the CSC, saying “I’m quite happy we’ve been granted society status. Our next step is to hold an EGM to elect our committee, who can then work towards organising our events. We hope to hold a number of forums/panel discussion over the next few weeks to discuss various issues, especially issues affecting students. Along with this, we will also be organising a number of canvassing workshops and voter registration drives. We’ll also be hosting a national youth seminar for the Social Democrats, provisionally taking place on the 27th/28th November.”

For a group of students to form a society under the CSC’s rules, the signatures and ID numbers of 200 students and staff members who would like to see the society being recognised in College must be first collected. The constitution of the proposed society and the list of signatures to must then be sent to the secretary of the CSC. The students will then be assigned a time where they can come in person to put their case for society to the executive of the CSC.

Once a society has then been in existence for a year and submitted satisfactory accounts of their income and expenditure, a secretary’s report for the same period, a copy of their constitution and evidence showing that the society has 50 or more fully paid-up members, they will be proposed for full recognition at a CSC AGM. They will then become a full member of the CSC with voting rights, and eligibility for full grants.

With Stephen Donnelly of the Social Democrats due to speak next week at the students’ union Party Debate on Education, the recognition of a Trinity branch comes at a good time for the party. Along with the SocDems, Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour, the Green Party and the Socialist Workers Party all have Trinity branches of their parties.