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Technological University Dublin via Facebook

TU Dublin working to identify space for changing rooms on new campus after complaints from students

Culinary Arts students had complained that it was unsanitary for them to change in corridors or public toilets for classes in kitchens.

TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY DUBLIN HAS said it is working to identify space on the new Grangegorman campus for additional changing facilities after complaints that students in some courses had to change in corridors and common areas.

Students in the schools of Culinary Arts, Environmental Health and Hospitality and Tourism said they have nowhere to change when getting ready for classes in kitchens and have been forced to change in corridors, common areas and toilets.

“This is unsanitary for a kitchen environment and breaches regulations, violates students’ right to dignity and respect and for trans and non-binary students there is additional discomfort which is at odds with TU Dublin’s Gender Expression Policy which is launching this month,” the TU Dublin Students’ Union said.

The union said they, along with management of the School of Culinary Arts, had flagged the issue since before the summer.

“The lack of action from senior management and the finger pointing between departments is beyond disappointing and we are in disbelief that we are in the eighth week of term and students have been left in this disgraceful situation,” they said.

They said if a solution is not provided by 12 November further action with students will be taken.

In a statement to The Journal, the university said it was working to resolve the problem:

“TU Dublin is working to resolve a matter relating to students changing rooms and lockers in the Central Quad.

“New lockers will arrive in the coming weeks, and the university is also reviewing spaces to identify a suitable changing room in close proximity to the kitchens. We will also continue to engage with our students and their representatives – TU Dublin Students’ Union – on this matter.”

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    Mute RJ.Fallon
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    Nov 11th 2021, 4:53 PM

    especially since hygiene laws and practices are as strict in the Catering Industry as in the medical profession.

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    Mute Barrycelona
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    Nov 11th 2021, 5:53 PM

    I always find it ironic when people talk about students rights and then add terms like trans gender and non binary etc. Surely if you are looking for equal rights for all, should you not be treating all equally and just refer to them as students. And why the need for a gender expression week. When are you going to have a heterosexual week or Indigenous week??. To me it just seems patronising that your aim is to treat all people equally but first you have to put them on ‘ display’ first. To me it seems like saying ‘ I am not a racist, I have loads of X friends’

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    Mute Rob Hunt
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    Nov 11th 2021, 8:44 PM

    @Barrycelona: because there are certain special considerations for trans and non binary students which might need to be factored in.

    Also, we don’t need a heterosexual week any more than we need a straight pride parade. Nobody has ever been castigated, excluded, beaten or killed for being straight/white/whatever. Equal rights means giving equal consideration to all unique situations, not just broadly applying the same thing to everyone.

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    Mute Barrycelona
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    Nov 12th 2021, 1:41 PM

    @Rob Hunt: Two of my heroes, Alan Turing and Oscar Wilde suffered the ‘ indignities’ that you talk about. Disgraceful! Thankfully we have moved on. ‘ Minority’ groups now have structures in place, like now ‘legal’ support groups within the LGBTQ community, but more importantly a growing ‘acceptance’ from the non LGBTQ community. In my humble opinion, integration within both communities rather than highlighting your differences is the key. God knows we ALL have insecurities and we would all like ‘ special consideration’ but that only comes after we form common bonds with others. We are more likely to help a friend than a stranger. Effectively, through minority weeks on campus, you are saying, ‘my needs are greater than yours, even though you are in the majority, please accept me’ The place for that is NOT on a college campus. Even now writing this, I feel like I am walking on eggshells, I would never walk up to a woman and start talking to her about her sexuality, and what is the difference in walking up to, say a transgender person and asking them about their sexuality. Personally I have more difficulty accepting Man Utd or FFG supporters than members of minority groups but having found common bonds in other areas, I have managed, albeit with great difficulty to indulge in conversations with them.

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    Mute
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    Nov 11th 2021, 4:49 PM

    Absolutely ridiculous, they purpose built this campus and yet didn’t allow for changing rooms.. Ireland never ceases to amaze me.

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    Mute Enda Flaherty
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    Nov 11th 2021, 5:13 PM

    Wait until you see what they forget to provide in the €673 billion children’s hospital…….

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    Mute
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    Nov 11th 2021, 7:03 PM

    @Enda Flaherty: You said it…. It’ll most likely be old hat before it’s finished.

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    Mute Y
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:53 PM

    @: they have the changing rooms but they’re not open.

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    Mute Rob Hunt
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    Nov 11th 2021, 8:40 PM

    Having spent 6 years doing a BA and an MA in DIT before they moved to Grangegorman, purpose building a new campus and not taking very basic things into account sounds like par for the course.

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Nov 12th 2021, 7:46 AM

    Hahahah, they’ve been building this place since 1994 and they didn’t think of changing rooms? So typical.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Nov 11th 2021, 6:41 PM

    Amazing they actually get things! In my experience this mostly doesn’t happen, lol.

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    Mute Neil Dinnen
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:00 AM

    Our motto for DIT when I was in college was “Do it tomorrow”. Not much has changed in the 20 odd years so.

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    Mute Y
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:56 PM

    @Neil Dinnen: the campus is superb, there are changing rooms / lockers but not open / accessible due to C19. Culinary Arts … students need this changed due to uniforms, heavy shoes and knife case they have to carry around with them.

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