NEWS
By Rachel daly · 11 November 2026
The University College Cork Students’ Union (UCCSU) has spent €1,000 on the purchase of a car, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding its acquisition and intended use. The vehicle is referenced in a proposed motion of no confidence in the Union’s Commercial and Fundraising Officer, which is scheduled to be considered at Wednesday’s UCC Students’ Representative Council meeting at 6.15pm in Boole 3. The motion states that the vehicle was acquired with the intention of using it as a raffle prize, and raises concerns about the subsequent handling of the proposed fundraiser.
According to the proposed motion, the car was purchased by the Commercial and Fundraising Officer with the intention of raffling it as part of SHAG Week. The motion alleges that, following the initial promotion of the proposed raffle on the Students’ Union’s Instagram account, promotion subsequently ceased. It further questions the use of UCCSU funds to purchase a vehicle for a raffle that ultimately did not take place.
The matter was brought to the attention of University Express by students, following which the newspaper contacted the Students’ Union on Tuesday, 10 November, seeking clarification about the purchase and comment on the subsequent handling of the matter.
University Express sought further information about the purchase, including the vehicle’s make and model, its purchase price, when and where it was acquired, and the source of the funds used to finance the transaction.
Alex Dramba, Commercial and Fundraising Officer of the Union and the officer who is the subject of the proposed motion of no confidence, responded to the newspaper’s questions on behalf of UCCSU. Dramba confirmed that the vehicle is a Nissan X-Trail, purchased on 11 September 2026 for €1,000. The car was purchased through DoneDeal, the Irish online marketplace.
According to Dramba, the purchase was authorised by UCCSU administration and the Union President.
University Express also sought clarification on whether the purchase had been funded through Students’ Union funds, including student capitation fees. In response, Dramba wrote: “Purchase was funded by the SU, from which the Commercial and Fundraising Officer raised funds for the car, no capitation money was spent to buy the car”.
The newspaper subsequently asked: “What specific fundraising activities generated the €1,000 used to purchase the vehicle?”
Dramba responded: “We have a Media Pack where we sell services to businesses. For this specific payment on the car, the money came from SIM card commission generation.”
UCCSU confirmed that the vehicle had been acquired with the intention of raffling it to students during SHAG Week. However, the Union explained that “this failed due to UCC OCLA[Office of Corporate and Legal Affairs]/Insurance issues”.
The Union further explained that the vehicle’s National Car Test (NCT) had expired in August 2026, prior to its purchase, and that it had been “unaware that [they] couldn’t have the car on campus without a valid NCT”.
Following the unsuccessful attempt to raffle the vehicle during SHAG Week, the CCSU said it had intended to hold the raffle during RAG Week instead.
However, Dramba explained that “following a meeting with UCC Staff, the SU President directed that the car be sold in case the same issues arise logistically if we endeavoured to raffle it during RAG Week”.
University Express subsequently asked whether the vehicle had since been sold and, if so, for how much and where the proceeds would be allocated. UCCSU responded: “The car is currently listed on DoneDeal at the same price it was purchased for. Regarding its allocation, the sabbatical team will decide on its allocation once the car gets sold.”
University Express is not currently aware of the vehicle’s current physical location. University Express believes this to be the DoneDeal listing for the vehicle — the listing states that the vehicle was put on sale on 10 November, yesterday.
While the purchase of the vehicle is among the matters raised in the motion of no confidence, questions of accountability extend beyond the officer directly implicated. According to UCCSU, the purchase was authorised by both Union administration and the Union President, indicating that the decision was not made in isolation. This places the oversight exercised by the sabbatical team, the scrutiny applied to the expenditure and the extent to which responsibility is shared among those who authorised it under scrutiny. Furthermore, the absence of an agreed allocation for the eventual proceeds leaves the longer-term financial implications of the purchase unresolved.
