Seanad Elections: Vote Closes This Week, Turnout Low Expected
The Seanad voting deadline for the postal vote for six senators on the two university panels closes on Wednesday morning, with a turnout of less than 25 per cent expected.
Vocational Panels Voting Closes Tomorrow
The postal ballot for the five vocational panels closes on Thursday at 11am, after which counting will begin and is expected to continue through the bank holiday weekend.
Seanad Composition and Voting Process
There are 60 seats in the Upper House. The 174 TDs in the Dáil, 60 outgoing senators, and 949 local authority councillors will fill 43 seats on five Seanad vocational panels. Graduates of National University of Ireland (NUI) institutions and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) vote for the six seats (three in each) on the NUI and University of Dublin panels respectively. The final 11 Seanad seats are appointed by the Taoiseach.
Former TDs among Candidates
Five former TDs who lost their seats in the general election are among the candidates for the vocational panels, including former Fianna Fáil minister Anne Rabbitte; her Longford-Westmeath colleague Joe Flaherty; former Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell; and former Independent TDs Cathal Berry from Kildare South and Matt Shanahan from Waterford.
Seanad Veterans Enter Dáil
Eleven former senators were elected to the Dáil – five from Fine Gael, four from Fianna Fáil, and two from Labour.
Fine Gael Under Pressure
Fine Gael is under pressure following the party’s failure to elect any women to the five vocational panels in 2020. Then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar subsequently nominated four Fine Gael women as Senators.
Key Panels and Candidates for the Seanad
Counting will start with the Education and Cultural panel, which has 21 candidates out of a total of 111 candidates for the five panels. Meanwhile, graduates of Trinity College and the NUI colleges each get to elect three of the 60 senators.
Trinity College Voting Update
Some 76,000 Trinity graduates are eligible to vote, and as of Tuesday, there was a 22 per cent turnout with 16,729 voting papers returned, with more expected in Wednesday morning’s post. In the 2020 election, turnout was 23 per cent.
Outgoing Senators Lynn Ruane and Tom Clonan are seeking re-election, with one seat vacant following the retirement of David Norris. Of the 16 candidates in the race, former minister for children Katherine Zappone has the highest profile. Other contestants include former Green Party minister Ossian Smyth and party councillor Hazel Chu.
NUI Panel Candidates
On the NUI panel, the three outgoing senators—Alice Mary Higgins, Michael McDowell, and Rónán Mullen—are all seeking re-election. The 12 candidates also include UCD associate professor Marie Keenan; eye surgeon Dara Joseph Kilmartin; Green Party Dún Laoghaire councillor Eva Dowling, a former adviser to former minister Ossian Smyth; geriatrician Rónán Collins; and arts manager, former solicitor, and political advisor Linda O’Shea Farren, who has contested the Seanad elections on several occasions.
Voting Registration and Process
For the NUI colleges, the electorate is currently 112,832, with a turnout estimated at 33,000. Registrar Dr. Patrick O’Leary said a first count is possible late on Wednesday night but both NUI and Trinity expect final counts by Thursday evening.
“It’s a completely new system and people will have to register again,” said Dr. O’Leary. As of now, 65,000 people have registered for the new constituency. “Unless you make a claim, you won’t be able to vote,” he said.
Further Reading
Conclusion
The upcoming Seanad elections are a pivotal moment in Irish politics, with significant implications for the composition of the Upper House. Low turnout expectations highlight the challenge of engaging voters in these crucial elections, underscoring the need for effective communication and education. As counting begins following the close of the polls, the Irish electorate will shape the future of the Senate and its role in national governance.
Engage with the Discussion
We encourage you to share your thoughts and insights on these elections. Whether you’re a voter, a candidate, or simply interested in Irish politics, your voice matters. Please join the conversation by leaving a comment below or subscribing to our newsletter for updates on the latest political developments. Don’t forget to like and share this article to spread awareness about these important elections.