As of 2021, UCDSU is not affiliated with USI, having decided to leave in a referendum which was held in February 2013, 67% of students voted to leave the national union, reaffirming this in a 2016 with 74% of Students voting for UCDSU to remain outside of USI.
As of 2021, UCDSU is no longer linked to USI, having chosen to exit in a referendum held in February 2013, with the majority of students backing this move. This decision was reinforced in 2016 when an even greater proportion of students chose to maintain UCDSU's independence from USI.