A row has broken out between students at UCD and industry lobby group the Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society (Meas), after college authorities stepped in to provide some €10,000 in sponsorship for a series of alcohol-free events on the college campus.
UCD Students Union welfare officer Dan Hayden told The Irish Times that following a recent meeting of the college's welfare executive, it had been decided the college would "buy out" Meas's involvement in the events. This was because there were concerns about the way Meas is run, including the fact that it is funded by the drinks industry, he said.
However, Meas chief executive Fionnuala Sheehan last night said the organisation, which encourages individuals to drink responsibly, had never committed to sponsoring the UCD events. In fact, it had committed to funding just three events in other colleges around the country.
"Meas did not offer to do these events in UCD. The promoters of the event contacted us and we agreed to sponsor events in three colleges, UL, DCU and UCC. We would have been made aware of interest in Meas events in a number of campuses around the country.
"While it would be my understanding that there was an interest in the Meas events in UCD, we would not have provided any additional funding [for this]."
The six events in question, which run until November, feature a variety of acts, including singers David Kitt and Damien Dempsey and comedians Karl Spain and Ed Byrne.
