Below is the text of an email from Provost Linda Doyle to Trinity’s students, staff and alumni on 16 February 2024:

Leagan Gaeilge thíos 

Dear College community, 

2024 has been dubbed the “Year of Elections” as an estimated two billion people in as many as 50 countries go to the polls.  

In Ireland, there will be several voting opportunities including constitutional referenda in March, and local and European elections in June. In addition, a general election must be held before March 2025, with a Seanad election taking place afterwards.

 In recent months I have contacted you about the importance of contacting your public representatives to highlight the chronic underfunding of Ireland’s higher education and research sector. Despite some recent improvements, our sector remains severely underfunded by European standards. This is limiting so many of our ambitions and negatively impacting the student experience. Elections are an opportune time to highlight this issue and I urge you to raise the matter with your public representatives.  

Trinity speaks through you and through the diversity of opinions you hold on many other issues. Continue to make your voice heard! By registering to vote, you can make your voice heard at the ballot box.

The Citizens Information website has authoritative information about registering to vote.  

Trinity is an international university and I want to highlight that non-EU citizens, EU citizens living in Ireland, and British citizens who live in Ireland, can vote in some elections. Full details on the right to vote are available at the Citizens Information website.  

Information about voting in the Seanad Éireann elections (University of Dublin constituency) is available here. Note that this election uses an entirely separate register. Applications for inclusion on the 2024 register will close at midnight on February 26, 2024. The 2024 register will be published on June 1, 2024. If you are already registered, it is worth confirming that your address is up to date as this election is conducted by a postal ballot.  

I want to acknowledge the ongoing work of the Students’ Union and their registration campaigns to ensure students are able to vote at election time. I also want to thank the team in Academic Registry who manage the processes around the Seanad Éireannelections for the University of Dublin constituency. 

With warm wishes, 

Linda 

 

A phobal ollscoile, 

Tá “Bliain na dToghchán” baiste ar an mbliain 2024 nuair a bheidh thart ar dhá bhilliún duine i suas le 50 tír ag caitheamh vóta. 

In Éirinn, beidh deiseanna vótála éagsúla ann lena n-áirítear reifrinn bhunreachtúla i mí an Mhárta agus toghcháin áitiúla agus Eorpacha i mí an Mheithimh. Ina theannta sin, caithfear olltoghchán a reáchtáil roimh mhí an Mhárta 2025, agus beidh toghchán don Seanad ar siúl ina dhiaidh sin. 

Le míonna beaga anuas, rinne mé teagmháil leat faoin tábhacht a bhaineann le teagmháil a dhéanamh le d’ionadaithe poiblí chun aird a tharraingt ar an tearcmhaoiniú seasta in earnáil ardoideachais agus taighde na hÉireann. D’ainneoin roinnt feabhsuithe a rinneadh le déanaí, tá tearcmhaoiniú trom á dhéanamh go fóill ar ár n-earnáil de réir chaighdeáin na hEorpa. Cuireann sé sin teorainn leis an oiread sin dár n-uaillmhianta agus bíonn tionchar diúltach aige ar eispéireas an mhic léinn. Is am tráthúil iad na toghcháin chun aird a tharraingt ar an tsaincheist seo agus molaim duit an cheist a ardú le d’ionadaithe poiblí. 

Is tríotsa agus tríd an éagsúlacht tuairimí atá agat ar go leor saincheisteanna eile a labhraíonn Coláiste na Tríonóide. Lean ort ag cur do ghuth in iúl! Trí chlárú le vótáil, is féidir leat do thuairim a chur in iúl ag an mbosca ballóide.

Tá eolas údarásach ag an suíomh gréasáin Faisnéis do Shaoránaigh maidir le clárú chun vótáil.   

Is ollscoil idirnáisiúnta í Coláiste na Tríonóide agus ba mhaith liom a thabhairt chun suntais gur féidir le saoránaigh neamh-AE, saoránaigh AE a bhfuil cónaí orthu in Éirinn, agus saoránaigh ón mBreatain a bhfuil cónaí orthu in Éirinn, vóta a chaitheamh i roinnt toghchán. Tá sonraí iomlána maidir leis an gceart vótála ar fáil ar an suíomh gréasáin Faisnéis do Shaoránaigh.

Tá eolas faoi vótáil i dtoghcháin Sheanad Éireann (toghcheantar Ollscoil Átha Cliath) ar fáil anseo. Tabhair faoi deara go n-úsáideann an toghchán seo clár iomlán ar leithligh. Ní mór iarratas a dhéanamh le bheith ar chlár na bliana 2024 faoi mheán oíche ar an 26 Feabhra 2024. Foilseofar clár 2024 ar an 1 Meitheamh 2024. Má tá tú cláraithe cheana féin, is fiú a dheimhniú go bhfuil do sheoladh cothrom le dáta mar go ndéantar reáchtáil ar an toghchán seo trí bhallóid phoist.

Ba mhaith liom aitheantas a thabhairt d’obair leanúnach Aontas na Mac Léinn agus dá bhfeachtais chlárúcháin lena chinntiú go mbeidh mic léinn in ann vóta a chaitheamh ag am toghcháin. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil freisin leis an bhfoireann sa Chlárlann Acadúil a bhainistíonn na próisis a bhaineann le toghcháin Sheanad Éireann do thoghcheantar Ollscoil Átha Cliath. 

Le gach dea-ghuí,   

Linda