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File sent to DPP over FEE occupation

Submitted by Michelle McCormick on Tuesday, 15 September 20092 Comments

A FILE HAS been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) relating to the occupation of a Green Party TD’s office by the Free Education for Everyone (FEE) lobby group.

fee occupy pgThe sit in, which occurred last December at the Lucan constituency office of Dublin Mid-West TD Paul Gogarty, resulted in a member of staff being locked into the office with the protestors, and damage caused to the building when Gardaí used force to enter the premises. Deputy Gogarty’s constituency office is located in the Muintir na Tíre Hall building, which predates the Great Famine and is thus a public listed building.

Deputy Gogarty, the Green Party Spokesperson for Education, was unable to comment to The University Observer on the DPP proceedings, but confirmed that the action involved a member of his staff.

He did state that he was concerned about FEE’s actions during the occupation. “One important issue [the DPP file] does not involve was the misappropriation of computer equipment in my office by some of the individuals concerned”, he stated. “At least one computer was illegally accessed by members of the FEE group, to send out a press statement and to do coursework. These computers contain private and sensitive information relating to constituents,” said Deputy Gogarty.

FEE spokesperson Julian Brophy was unaware of the file being lodged with the DPP, and was adamant that no charges had been brought against any of the protestors. He also denied that that any computer equipment was tampered with during the protest. “We didn’t access the computer at all, not at all. We talked to the secretary there and guaranteed her, as much as the word of eleven students could mean, that we had no intention of snooping through the office, that we were only occupying the office as a statement against fees.”

Deputy Gogarty went on to say that he felt the protest undermined the efforts of the FEE campaign. “I found their invasion of my office and their intimidation of a staff member to be unfair, immature and ultimately counter-productive. The USI and UCD Students’ Union have been doing fantastic work to highlight the problems that reintroducing fees or a loan scheme would have and the efforts of FEE have only served to damage the cause so dear to the hearts of many students,” he said.

“I respect the right of people to protest, but these individuals had no right to access my computer or barricade the door with a member of staff still inside the office.”

2 Comments »

  • Jason Whelan said:

    I think the necessity to highlight the issue of third level fees is there for all to see. The Gardai took it upon themselved to trash the door, not the occupiers and the office could have been messed up while the Gardai were apprehending the occupiers. There is no proof that the computer was used. There is even less proof that the member of staff was terrorised in any way. If so, why leave it for such a long period to press charges and why is it that it is Mr Gogarty who is doing so, and not the member of staff?

    Finally, while the channels of diplomacy are essential in this and all other differences of opinion, the fact that a member of the Government has decided to press charges on an exagerated fashion seems to me to be just a bit of childish retaliation for the first bit of serious activism in years showing the unfortunate society that we live in today.

  • Emma Beckett said:

    The member of staff chose to stay in the room. She was repeatdedy offered the opportunity to leave, and could have done so at any point.

    It should be pointed out that Paul Gogharty resigned his position as the Green Party spokesperson on education weeks later, due to pressure over cuts in education.

    Counterproductive?