Samuel Riggs | Editor
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) officially launched their campaign for equal access to marriage equality today in the run-up to the 2015 referendum on same-sex marriage.
The campaign will focus on encouraging students to register to vote, and on mobilising students to return to their constituencies in order to cast their ballot. Laura Harmon, USI President, stated that “Polls consistently show that the large majority of young people are in favour of marriage equality in Ireland and the student vote cannot be underestimated.”
USI is working in conjunction with NUS-USI, the representative body for the student movement in Northern Ireland, to achieve this goal. Both organizations have expressed that they are committed to achieving a yes vote in the upcoming referendum. The launch of the campaign comes as a part of Students’ Union Training, a training event for all USI-affiliated third-level institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland, being held at DCU over the course of the week.
On the launch of the campaign Rebecca Hall, President of NUS-USI, asserted “Marriage equality should be a right all across the island of Ireland. I am very proud to support my friends in USI in the campaign for equal access to civil marriage. I very much hope that equal marriage can be delivered across Ireland, both North and South, as soon as possible.”
In the academic year 2013-2014, three third level institutes of education, including Trinity, passed referenda in support of marriage equality. 92% of Trinity students voting in favour of marriage equality in a referendum organised by TCDSU
