In preparation for the policy referendum regarding the University of Galway/Technion joint research project, I sat with Students’ Union officers Paddy Marnane, Vice President/Welfare and Equality Officer, and Seán de Búrca, Vice President/Education Officer to get an idea of what students are being asked to vote for on 12 March.
Referendum text:
Do you agree with this motion?
“That Comhaltas na Mac Léinn, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe demands that the University cut all ties with Technion.”
Questions:
What is the referendum that the SU is putting forward for students to vote for on March 12th?
Seán: Quite simply it’s a policy referendum to say that the Students’ Union believes that the University of Galway should cut all ties with Technion. It’s a one liner, it’s not overly complicated. It’s something that we do already believe and it’s very much in our policy file, it’s a show of strength.
Paddy: It’s a show of unity amongst the student body is what it is.
Seán: If you don’t have solidarity what have you?
Talk to me about the rationale for the referendum and why it is a necessary position to take.
Seán: It’s a policy referendum, so we won’t be amending the constitution. A referendum is the strongest way we can implement a policy. Saying that we believe it has the exact same effect but this just reinforces our stance of opposing the Technion deal, which shows our university’s complicity in genocide.
Obviously many people know the importance of opposing the Technion deal. But for anyone who doesn’t know, why is it important? Why should they care to vote in this referendum?
Paddy: I think that’s actually an amazingly simple question with a really simple answer. Technion are directly involved in committing genocide and as a result the University of Galway are complicit in genocide. And not only are they complicit in genocide, but they are also supporting genocide by being in a research partnership with Technion University. This referendum gives the Students’ Union a unified voice that we can present the university with, that says that this isn’t a small, loud faction of students – it says that it is the wider student body with this belief. Because the university can very well go ahead and say that it’s only a small few voices, it’s really only a small minority that care. This allows us to make sure that the university in no uncertain terms know that we are serious about this, and it isn’t just us – it is all of the students: it’s the Student’s Union.
Seán: Of course the Students’ Union doesn’t have any direct power over the university. This isn’t going to end the deal the following day, but it puts us in a stronger position to get it to be cut, and it shows that solidarity we have with Palestinian students who are looking at their university being complicit in the genocide against their own people. And it will be showing that level of support to say that actually this community loves students
Seán: Be sure to vote yes!
Sonny McGreevy is SIN’s co-Sports Editor for 2025/2026. He is a third-year student of Creative Writing and a keen but mediocre golfer. It is his second-year writing for SIN. When he’s not slicing a golf ball into the nearest pond or peering over a fence at a local GAA pitch, he’s debating Irish foreign policy or ardently discussing the price of turf with a pint in hand in a sleepy pub in his native Roscommon.