THE PRESIDENT of Portobello College students' union, Eoin O'Cathain, has resigned after it was revealed that the union operated improper financial controls and he used union money for personal purposes.

O'Cathain was in the middle of his second term as president. He has apologised to the students of Portobello in an article submitted to the college's student newspaper, the Portobello Tribune. "I apologise to the student population if I have failed you," he wrote, before continuing: "if I had the choice I would do the whole thing over again".

O'Cathain said he was resigning because "there is very little money in the students' union account. It would be literally impossible for the union to cover the costs of a sabbatical officer in the union for the remainder of the year." He had not been paid any wages for two-and-a-half months, he wrote.

Allegations first emerged following the resignation last November of the union's vice-president, Brian Spollen. "Some (union) funds have been inexcusably used for other purposes," Spollen claimed. It emerged that the requirement that students' union cheques should be signed by two people had not been adhered to and audited accounts had not been prepared annually. The union had not had a treasurer since January 1996.

In his letter to the Portobello Tribune, O'Cathain said that "the only crime I have commmitted as president is that I have not conducted proper financial regulation and accountability". He added that he had "never considered financial regularity as a pressing matter in comparison to student welfare, educational (sic) and equality".

In relation to claims that he withdrew union funds for personal use, O'Cathain said he made a withdrawal of £200 in July 1996 to take a holiday of one-and-a-half weeks. "The holiday was, I felt, due because of the work and pressure I was under in researching and preparing the Students' Union Handbook along with other campaigns," he said.

O'Cathain also said he withdrew union funds for medical expenses, since he had no coverage for medical care and was placed on antibiotics following minor surgery last year. Referring to a number of cheques, believed to amount to £600, cashed with the Lower Deck pub last summer, O'Cathain said it was "much easier to cash cheques there than the bank".

Significant withdrawals were made throughout the summer of 1996, some of which O'Cathain said were related to travel on union or USI business, while others covered his wages for the period.

Portobello College students' union apparently ran out of money last November, leaving debts of at least £5,000. It is believed the entertainments organisers in the college have since paid off a considerable portion of those debts.

According to USI deputy president Noeleen Hartigan, USI gives all its member unions advice on finances, hiring staff and negotiating with their colleges at USI officer training; the unions also have access to legal and professional advice through USI. "The difficulty that arises is that all unions are autonomous, and while we can advise students' unions on finances and running the college effectively, we can't intervene in the running of the union," she says.

USI officers have visited the college and spoken with students in order to ensure that the union survives despite recent events.

O'Cathain could not be contacted for further comment.