‘I want someone to take an actual stand on immigration’: How will TCD student debaters vote?

Inside Trinity College Dublin’s graduate memorial building, more commonly known as the GMB, chairs are being laid out in rows, wine glasses transported between rooms and students are getting changed into their debating finery.
It is Thursday evening, and members of the Philosophical or “Phil” debating society are preparing for their weekly debate. This week’s motion is on whether solidarity with people of colour is possible. Another motion has been put forward for the coming days: this House has no faith in the Irish Government.
“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have had their time,” says Yvonne Farrell (21), who is a final-year political science and economics student and member of the Phil.
“I know there is a kind of legacy vote there. But [for young people] they are still considered right-wing, Catholic parties,” she says.
From Kilcock in Co Meath, Farrell will be returning home to vote in the Meath East constituency, where Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is one of the outgoing TDs.
Farrell, who is currently completing her dissertation on Irish politics, says she is likely to vote for one of the smaller left-wing parties of Labour, the Social Democrats or People Before Profit. She says her decision will be influenced primarily by a party’s stance on enacting the Occupied Territories Bill as well as housing and immigration.
“I’m not looking for potholes to be fixed,” adds Farrell. “I’m looking for housing. I’m looking for people to take an actual stance on immigration. I’m looking for people to actually condemn the far right and not pander to them.”
The social media use of the “TikTok Taoiseach” has not gone unnoticed by Farrell and her peers.
Predicting Fine Gael will increase its vote “purely because Simon Harris is in charge”, she says: “He posts very sweet photos all the time, it gives the impression that he is a nice, approachable guy.”
Sienna Ní Ríordáin (20), a second-year English literature and classics student, agrees while also noting the Taoiseach had recently congratulated Donald Trump on his US presidential success on X.
Ní Riordáin, who is originally from South Africa and now living in south Dublin, is particularly impressed with the Social Democrats and likes watching Instagram reels of their party leader Holly Cairns speaking in the Dáil.
“I think it’s genius, because young people want to passively consume political content,” she says. “They want to open Instagram and have it right in front of them.
“It seems trivial for parties posting these reels or videos, but it is having an impact.”
Ní Ríordáin says she will likely vote for the Social Democrats and that women’s health services are a priority for her.
“I really like Holly Cairns. I think she’s doing a lot of good from what I’ve seen of her,” she says. “They bridge the gap a little bit. I think People Before Profit have a poor reputation with other generations. Like my dad would never consider any of their policies at all but would be more amenable to Social Democrat ideas.”
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Ní Ríordáin adds that young people have become mostly “disillusioned” with politics and doesn’t expect there to be much change following the election.
“It kind of feels like our votes don’t really matter.”
Rossa Bolger (21), a third-year social work student, also believes the election will return more of the same but hopes smaller parties might make some gains.
Bolger, who is originally from Oranmore, Co Galway, admits he is not “100 per cent sure” who he will vote for, but likely the Social Democrats, People Before Profit or an Independent candidate.
He estimates that about 80 per cent of his friends from home won’t vote as they feel disenfranchised and “don’t see the point in voting”.
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Bolger says he and his twin brother were the first in their family to finish secondary school and is concerned about the growth of the far right and anti-immigration sentiment.
“I don’t like where the country is going and what’s happening to my town,” he adds. “I don’t think I’m going to move back to Galway when I finish [college]. You have local politicians making baseless claims about immigrants. It’s an easy sell. To hear that from someone local is really depressing.”