I am John Logue, the Eastern Area Officer for 2010/11.

Before taking up my role in USI, I was a Law student in UCD and represented fellow students on the Staff/Student Consultative Forum.My main priorities for the year are to reinstate a Nightlink service for students, lobby the government to implement a Public Service Work Experience Programme and to ensure that any matters of student interest, which are specific to the region, are addressed by the Union.

The return of the Nightlink in time is something I feel should have been done a long time ago. Dublin Bus has until now been unreceptive to the idea so I am currently negotiating for a private contract. Ideally, this will be in place for the beginning of the academic year.

The Public Service Work Experience Programme would allow graduates to attain valuable work experience in the public sector while retaining their social welfare benefits. It isn’t ideal by any stretch of the imagination but given the current economic climate it will allow graduates to attain valuable experience in the workplace which will be of benefit to participants when the public sector begins recruitment once again.

I feel that USI has the potential to make real and lasting changes to the lives of students in Ireland, but I also recognises that this is only achievable with a union that listens to students at the coalface.

If you have any thoughts or queries, I will be glad to address them. You can contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .