The Hot Press Intereview with USI President Michael Kerrigan

Culture
25 Sep 17

A business graduate from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Michael Kerrigan is President of the Union of Students in Ireland. In an exclusive interview, he shares his views on funding for education, no platforming at universities, the importance of consent classes – and why students are more political than they’ve ever been.

“I’ve been told it’s a bit of grilling,” laughs Michael Kerrigan, talking about politicians who have undergone the famed Hot Press interroga- sorry, interview.

“Only if you have something to hide,” is the reply from your Hot Press interviewer. The curious thing is that, despite having served as the USI Vice President for the Borders, Midlands and Western region, as well as being President at GMIT’s Student Union, information about Michael Kerrigan is in short supply.

I found one recurring theme: Michael’s message that student voices need to be heard when it comes to decisions about educational funding. This was Kerrigan’s election platform, describing 2017 as a “defining moment in the history of education in Ireland.”