DCU NEWS: Mary-Lou on campus

In the wake f the Irish General Election, DCU welcomed another party leader on campus. Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald was met with crowds of students on campus who were eager to discuss the issues that matter to them for this coming election. With just two weeks to go before the election, McDonald outlined her promises to students, telling them ‘this is your election, this is the moment where you make your mark’. Some of the issues discussed included mental health services, unpaid work by student nurses, and the future of Irish unity. 

DCU student Amy Casey raised concerns about access to mental health support. She told McDonald that she had been waiting nine months for an appointment for such services and acknowledged that while housing was a key issue for young voters in this election, without mental health supports, ‘the country won’t run’. The Sinn Féin leader acknowledged the absence of mental health services and the implications of this for young people and their families. Casey told McDonald that if Sinn Féin promised to improve this issue, they would be getting her vote. Sinn Féin has made commitments to ‘revolutionize’ mental health services in their 2024 election manifesto. Their plans include replacing CAHMS with a new Youth mental health service expanding services to those under 25. This ambition is a part of the party’s wider plans for reform of Irish health services should they enter power. 

McDonald spoke to another student, who is currently studying nursing at DCU. She acknowledged that unpaid student nurses play a vital role in supporting our health services and provide enormous support to deal with the shortage of healthcare professionals in the country. McDonald told the student directly that the country needs future nurses and that her party would do their best to look after them. Sinn Féin has previously advocated for the payment of work done by student nurses. However, the party’s election manifesto makes no reference to student nurses, nor their unpaid placements. 

The topic of Irish unity was apparent in the minds of some students. Student Aaron Casey asked McDonald about the party’s plan for Irish unity, including how much it would cost the state. McDonald expressed how Michelle O’Neill’s appointment as First Minister is a measure of how much has changed, telling students that ‘I feel so optimistic’ about the question of unity. She told students that while we cannot forget the past, we must look forward to tomorrow and build a new Ireland, together. McDonald told Casey that she believes we are going to have a referendum on this issue during this decade, telling the audience of students that ‘I think all of you are going to live your best years in a united Ireland’. 

McDonald proved to be an effective campaigner and political communicator during her time on DCU campus, with many students expressing positive sentiments towards Sinn Féin as the solution to their concerns ahead of the election. With just days to go until polling day, McDonald urged young people to go out and use their vote to change the outcome of their futures. As the party leader told students, ‘It is you who has the most to gain in this election, and the most to lose’.

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