SDLP Youth condemns University Luxury Travel

national | miscellaneous | press release Friday June 22, 2007 09:39 by SDLP Youth - SDLP

SDLP Youth Universities and Schools Officer Malachy Quinn has today spoken out about the money spent by the University of Ulster on international flights.

The University of Ulster's policy of flying its staff on international flights in business class has been described as "needless and unjustifiable spending" by Mr. Quinn.

He said: "At a time when students are finding themselves lumbered with debts of over £9,000 thanks to top-up fees, University of Ulster fat cats are busy sending people to places such as Saudi Arabia in business class luxury.

"Many young people simply cannot afford to go to university and others are facing financial ruin just to get a degree, yet the University of Ulster indulges itself in needless and unjustifiable spending.

"There is no reason why they cannot fly their staff in economy class and save massive amounts of money. This in turn could be spent on student support and improved services.

"To top it all, the University of Ulster continues to ban political organisations from its campuses. Perhaps they are afraid we'll expose scandalous incidents such as this," he concluded.

SDLP Youth is continuing its long-running campaign to get top-up fees scrapped, and will be protesting at the University of Ulster at the start of the next term to force it to lift its anti-democratic ban on political party organisation in its campuses.

Details of University Of Ulster foreign flight spending: