After a period of some years when it seemed to be in some danger of fragmenting, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has brought its membership in third-level colleges to more than 250,000.

The trend now on campuses is toward reaffiliation to the union. In a college-wide ballot on membership last week students at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, voted by more than two-to-one in favour of affiliating to USI. The vote increases USI's total membership to well over 250,000 - the union's largest ever.

Julian de Spainn, president of USI, said: "Last week the students of Trinity College Dublin voted to join USI. This week the students of NUI Maynooth have also decided to join the national students' union. These decisions mean that we now have the strongest and most united student movement ever in Ireland. "This boost in our membership will give new impetus to the campaign to increase student maintenance grants from their current pathetic level of £49 per week. "It's an incredibly foolish Government that ignores the demands of this united and vocal group."