UCD Campaigns & Communications Officer Brian Murphy Issues Open Letter To UCD Students

On the eve of the poll in UCD to impeach the President of the Students’ Union, Katie Ascough, the union’s Campaigns & Communications Officer Brian Murphy has issued a statement via Facebook.

It is an astonishing and detailed account of what happened in the build-up to – and the aftermath of – the decision taken by Ascough to withdraw the 2017 edition of the Students' Union book for Freshers, Winging It.

"I am the sabbat who, with a number of SU staff, wrote our Winging It freshers guide book,” Murphy explains. "We spent weeks drafting it, creating content. It's a book for UCD students providing information they need. It tells you how to survive off €20 for food for a week if you've spent all your money in Coppers. It tells you how to take a clamp off a car. It's daring, it's bold and it's so, so informative. Staff and students of UCD love it.”

Murphy goes on to explain how the controversy arose in relation to the information about abortion in the advice book. It also details how Katie Ascough sought legal advice

"Last year the book included information on abortion,” Murphy explains. "We gloated throughout the book that we were doing this illegal thing. Last year's sabbats were all proud of distributing the information. No case was brought against them (or ever has been against any SU) for breach of the 1995 Act. In the year that's in it, with the Citizens Assembly voting to repeal and a referendum on the way, it was extremely unlikely any case would have been made against it. This was the lawyers original advice over the phone. He had stated that he was willing and ready to defend us in the very unlikely case that a claim was made.”

Murphy insists that it was only at the last minute that Ascough originally took issue with the content on abortion – though, he says, she had access to the editorial material throughout the process.

"She discovered a page on abortion information that caused her to become distressed,” he recounts. "She insisted the info would have to be removed. She stated her family, friends and campaign team would be horrified if she stood over a book that contained information on abortion.”

Others present prevailed on her, according to Murphy’s account, to allow the book to be printed. Later, she got the legal advice on which the decision to withdraw the booklet was taken by her. The Facebook post gives a highly detailed account of the labyrinthine debates, arguments, disagreements and actions – covert and otherwise – that followed. Katie Ascough may disagree with some elements of this account. Hot Press understands that accusations have been made by her of so called “bullying” by other students – and this is addressed in Murphy's statement.

However, Brian Murphy has clearly decided, in taking what is an extraordinary step, that it is vital to put his account of events fully into the public domain, in order to ensure that people are informed of the different takes on the events that have given rise to the impeachment.

"The cause to impeach Katie Ascough from her position is not based off her prolife views,” Murphy states. "I have always respected Katie for her views, more so than most. Her passion on her difference of opinion is admirable and no debate happens without differences. I condemn anyone who would abuse her for her views alone.

"The cause to impeach Katie Ascough is because she has repeatedly gone against a strong mandate our Union holds (a vote by the student body) to fight to Repeal the 8th Amendment, in our entirety. It's something the vast majority of our students want achieved and with a referendum set for next May on the issue, it is our job to give everything to the campaign."

Murphy urges students to vote – and to vote ‘yes’ for impeachment. The post ends:

YES to your voice back in the SU?
YES to no more censorship ?
YES to democracy ?
YES to impeachment ?‘?
Vote YES this Wednesday and Thursday.