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Updated 8.55pm
AS THE SEANAD election count entered its third day today, there was a nail-biting race emerging in the Trinity College panel (well, nail-biting if you’re into this sort of thing).
Independent senator David Norris was elected in the first count in the early hours of this morning, while current Labour senator Ivana Bacik retained the second seat.
It was almost battle to the end between former students’ union president Lynn Ruane and outgoing independent senator Averil Power for the third and final seat.
At one point, they had just a few votes separating them.
But tonight, Lynn Ruane won the seat ahead of Power and Sean Barrett. She was elected on the 15th count, with 3343 votes. That means all three seats have been filled in the constituency of the University of Dublin.
The battle came just two months after Power’s involvement in another major election battle: the high profile former Fianna Fáil politician lost out on a Dáil seat in Dublin Bay North after a lengthy recount process at the RDS.
Former minister and PDs leader Michael McDowell, outgoing senator Rónán Mullen and Alice Mary Higgins, daughter of President Michael D Higgins, were all elected to the Seanad in the National University of Ireland (NUI) panel.
Away from TCD, there was some consolation for some former TDs who lost their seats in the general election.
Former Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer was elected to the Seanad yesterday, while Labour minister of state Ged Nash was elected this morning.
Former Fine Gael TD Joe O’Reilly is also set to be elected.
Results from the election are being updated regularly on the Seanad website (but – as you can see from the graphic below – one could be forgiven for finding the whole thing a little confusing).
43 seats are elected through five vocational panels – Administrative, Agricultural, Cultural and Educational, Industrial and Commercial and Labour.
11 seats are nominated by the Taoiseach and the final six seats are elected by graduates of Trinity College and the National University of Ireland (NUI), which is a group of colleges and universities around the country.
At least 24 seats had been filled as of midday today.
Other results
Fianna Fáil’s Murnane O’Connor and Ned O’Sullivan were elected this morning, but there was disappointment for former Fianna Fáil TD (and former Labour chairman) Colm Keaveney, who lost his bid to become a senator.
Other successful candidates so far include Labour’s Denis Landy, Sinn Fein trio Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, Maire Devine and Paul Gavan and independent Gerard Craughwell.
Grace O’Sullivan, a former Irish surfing champion, became the Green Party’s first senator in the new Seanad.
166 candidates had put themselves forward for the Seanad’s 60 seats.
Then again, they may only be there for a wet week.
- Additional reporting Aoife Barry
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The people don’t want you Averil. How many elections will we need before you take the hint?
She didn’t send out enough calendars. Must do better.
Exactly…she wasnt too interested in the Seanad back before Feb 26th!!!
Smeone like Avril Power, who has demonstrated a desperate will to cling to power in any capacity she can, should never, ever be allowed to hold any office.
All of you who voted to keep the senate, you made this possible, for someone rejected at the ballot to get a seat in parliament anyway ONLY BETTER because they don’t have to answer to constituents. Further it’s meant that the national parliament can’t operate until the new govt is in place because not only are we waiting on a senate ‘election’ but since the Taoiseachs 11 can’t be appointed with a caretaker govt in place and thus we don’t have a Senate yet, so legislation can’t pass. All this because you voted for a theoretical second house that only exists in CSPE class not the real world, ALL on the vague hope of a massively reformed senate despite the fact that: -The minor reform of expanding university seats voted for in 19 f****”g 70s has still not been implemented -Everyone’s idea of an ideal reformed senate contradicts everyone else’s . -The one we have has never used some of its key check n balance powers (article 26) and the last time they sent a bill basck to thee Dail was BY ACCIDENT! Did none of this make you think a reformed senate was a mirage? Now were stuck with it.
must be great to be able to say ” I told you so”
Those that voted to keep it want it reformed into a directly elected chamber, one that overseas the excesses of the lower. Get rid of it and there’s nothing to reform, get rid of it and you need another constitutional referendum. So we need new blood to get in the Dail to bring in reforms..
At least that clown Barrett didn’t get in
Exactly
Mrs Underwood looks stressed
Her Percs & Mercs are at stake
Genuine Tallagh girl beats Beaker’s Tallagh moll to a seat at the Seanad trough. Indo headlines tomorrow?
Actually sad to see her lose. But the fact that I don’t have a vote for the senad concerns me more
Still never been democratically elected.
Thanks Jane, I’m definitely going to email Henry and ask for one of those cards.
What could possibly go wrong.?
That’s a pity. I had planned to travel to the Philippines, Mali and Nigeria next week. Otherwise, I definitely would have emailed Henry to get the deal.
Delighted for power. Signed her own p45 when she use tax payers money to print calendars.
she stood for nothing or no one what did she expect? plenty of column inches in a national newspaper?, interviews on national radio stations and hey presto! a meaningless overpaid pensionable job?
delighted for her mafia.
€65k for two half days a week…….. who would want to be a TD?
Well this lot will be senators so that question is not really valid….
As nelson in the Simpsons would say…. “Ha ha”
What next in Ms Averils pursuit of her surnamw? It seems anything is possible.. Join SF perhaps?
Gabby, I hear she’s teaming up with Kevin Spacey to hatch a ‘cunning plan’ :)
The vote for secretary of the local ‘Bowling Club’ promises to be a ‘Nail-Biter’ too
Fighting for wages is all their bitter about..
Failed Vultures, comes to mind.
We had a chance to get rid of the seanad a few years ago, and we didn’t.. Jokes on us
The referendum vote for the Seanad was a vote against Enda Kenny and his crony friends, no more, no less.
A new referendum might give a different result.
Too late now jwe had our chance hann we said keep it so we are defools
That first picture of Averil Power looks like Fionnan Sheahan in a wig. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen the two of them in the same room!
He/she/it pulls off distinct thick Tipp and thick Dub accents fairly well mind!
Makes my stomach turn watching these failed backslappers getting looked after by the regime they promised to change. The cronies are here to stay
What panel did Mairia Cahill run for this time?
Nice one Daisy, the mouthpiece has gone quiet there days
Daisy she’ll probably go back to PSF or what ever dissident group is flavour of the day..
The vote for the Senate???
Honestly who gives a shit except the people looking to be ‘elected’ by the few people that are allowed to actually vote?
Big come down for tds that lost seats over iw,and now enda sells out to hold onto power.talk about using people. Poor labour must be very angry.
Okay, own up, who the hell voted for Rònàn Mullen?
Theocrats and bumbling buffoons.
Who is right!Total W&#ker. Can’t stand the man!! Should be forced fed his bloody bible!
This is something I’ve never understood either! He’d be hard-pushed to get elected in the holiest of rural constituencies. Yet somehow, he gets voted in by university graduates, statistically one of the most atheistic groups of people you could form a constituency from.
Not as atheist as you might imagine. Still strong Anglican roots in trinners. Not to mention it is a hotbed of radical conservatism.
David if I ruled this land, Trinity would be bulldozed!
Mullen is on the NUI panel, not Trinity.
The puppeteer guy with the hand up his arse.
Ah, now, Dennis, don’t be coming on here with facts.
The kids were having a great time making up stuff.
From the picture she seems to be merging physically with the husband.. Come to think of it, Have they ever been seen in the same room together ??
@gordon kennedy: Bloody hell, Gordon, so it’s not just me. I posted the same idea before I read your comment!
The hypocrisy of Buttimer been elected having got his P45 from his constituents a short time ago and most of all some time ago this same guy was imploring us to get rid of the Senate really show how despicable these guys are.
We should have got rid of the Seanad for this very reason. These people are unelected by the people of Ireland in a general election and then getting a cushy job, elected by a few, paid for by taxpayers money. I hope they have another referendum on this in my lifetime.
I personally voted to keep the Seanad as I don’t trust most the big parties to run the country without some form of brake on them. However is it too much to ask that everyone gets a vote in it too? It could be something as simple as one senator per constituency elected the same day as the General Election
Not a bad idea. Would get rid of the notion of consolation seats for those who didnt make it in the GE.
Well then you were wrong, Con, weren’t you? It seems extravagant to me to maintain 60 freeloaders’ salaries, expenses, perks and pensions in order for them to exercise (never) their awesome power to delay a bill by 90 days.
We tried to tell you voting no for reform’ was foolish as reform wasn’t on the ballot, now we’re stuck with this unelected rubber stamp. Second chambers never work in reality the way they tell you they do in CSPE and poli sci classes. They can only b a source of gridlock (USA) or a rubber stamp . We don’t need as second house we have other checks n balances in the constitution we can enhance (the Presidents power to refer bills to referendum, non whipped votes on some issues etc..). They might give us ‘tinker around the edge’ reforms but no more. I HATE having been right about this because it means I have to watch people like Power expressly rejected at the ballot box get a massive wage and a seat in parliament anyway. Thanks no for reformers, quite an own goal!
Who keeps voting for that dirty old boombox
Ruane elected, Averil Power out.
Have to say Power really shot herself in the foot regarding her political aspirations when she jumped ship from Fianna Fail.
Just another one of those really annoying politically correct clones modern politics is throwing up on a regular basis.
Well there’s the new IW commission committee for them to fall back on now if they don’t get in! Tide them over till the next election. Seems the way these useless moron politicians operate if they get rejected is to set up a committee for themselves and pay themselves more fees for appearing on such committees.
Oh god, my heart is brrsking with worry for those poor politicians hoping to get the final seat in the seanad! Its mental stuff isn’t it. No bleedin government and these clowns trying to get into the Seanad.whats going on?
Politicians voting in politicians The seanad is an undemocratic farce,
So sad to see Ned Gash get a cushy number :(
Happy Averil power did not get a seat as she left FF as she thought she was better than them well time to look in the mirror Averil FF are flying and you are out in the cold.
Sometimes there is good news……..
So will Aevril get a real job now?
She’ll have a column with INM soon enough.
“nail biting”, eh? :-(
Nail biting, huh. Reminds me of the Dublin Opinion cartoon showing Joseph Stalin chain-smoking in the Kremlin. The caption read: Stalin waits up all night for the Russian election results.
Isn’t it great how the chosen few get to decide the makeup of the Seanad – an obscene and dreadfully undemocratic process where college graduates decide who represents the masses! We live in a country of equality -where some are just more “equal” than others! A college degree is not a symbol of intelligence -often it is a symbol of memory retention and nothing else! If you want an elitist upper house then let everyone take an IQ test! Some of the thickest people I’ve met have masters degrees! Some of the most intelligent live a simple life and didn’t go to college! Scrap the Seanad and replace with a People’s Parliament – made up of members elected by regional people’s parliaments which are made up from a system where people are drawn from random in a balanced way that represents the Social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of their constituency – real people, people that have bills, families, hardship, unemployment, small businesses and come from a wide range of backgrounds! Not party hacks awarded for their loyalty by being given a retirement post or failed election candidates ! Democracy should represent all of the people -not just those connected in the right places! Sickening!
I have a college degree and I can’t vote on the Seanad
I agree, David Grey. For crying out loud.
If it’s from the NUI, you can register to vote.
It really does seem impossible to prize their lips off the public teat, doesn’t it?
Jobs for the boys, will we ever learn…
Should be up to the public not the good old boys who gets seats. After all we are paying for those seats
An overhaul of the Seanad should have taken place first. What is democratic about The Taoiseach having majority voting? We do need the Seanad, but on a fairer voting system.
No, we don’t need the Seanad.
Delighted for Lynne Ruane. Alice Mary Higgins also elected, not so delighted.
Hopefully not, just another creep.
Great to see that Averil Power was not elected – after her disgraceful leaflet against Cllr Larry O’Toole in 2011. Karma is a great thing. I am sure her husband Fionan Sheehan will get her a job in the rag of a paper The Indo!
Avril must be the unluckiest candidate in the history of Irish Politics, how many times has she tried to get elected? leo’s endorsement hardly helped.
unlucky? voting isn’t about luck, its not a raffle.
Only a matter of time before power jumps to FG,, when Leo becomes leader watch her shamelessly present herself.. Wretched opportunistic fool..
So 3 former TD’s rejected by the voting public have been elected to the Senate? So much for Enda’s claims to be reforming it…..
Oh god, now Fionan Sheahan will be in a bad mood all weekend and the poor Shinners will get attackd again ;(
INDO GIRL OUT FANTASTIC — SO LEO WHAT ABOUT THAT
Leo?
I was delighted to see Ronan Mullen ( gynecologist ) getting elected ..
Ronan “equality doesn’t apply in every situation” Mullen.
Francis is he really a Gynecologist or even a doctor?
The thought of that creepy looking little twerp going near the intimate parts of women (in either a work or non-work capacity) makes me feel nauseous.
No he is not medically qualified, but displays an obsessive and unhealthy interest in the female reproductive system.
Mer Curial ,
Rashers has answered it better than I could have..
Further highlights the joke that is the Seanad.. If that lad stood for popular election; he’d be roundly rejected.
Rashers, he’s single and in his 40s from what I gather an a extremist catholic looney type. I’m going to hazard a guess he’s a hypocritical repressed closet case.
Absolutely gutted that the gobsh*te O’Riordain is likely to get in :(
There is something called Karma. ..I hope Averil Power gets it now….We don’t want her representing us in the Dail or Seanad. ….Never could warm to her….get a real job Averil…am sure someone will employ you.
So I haven’t followed Seanad elections, but can someone tell me is O’Riordain likely to be elected?
Well is he going to get in or not then?
All I can say to Averil is Haw Haw Haw Haw!! Great to see one like her losing out. Think I’ll have a day off just to relish it.
larry you don’t have a job to take a day off from lie down u sad duck8r
Hahaha delighted for Mrs. Underwood, Wat a c u next Tuesday
It’s we ll for them getting a seat in the seaned..I cant get a seat on the luas.. Bleedin strikes my arse
Too many calendars spoiled the vote
Gravy train number 2……parasites…….leeches….bloodsuckers
Ah jaysus Ronan Mullins
Farce. Some graduates get a vote and others don’t. Seanad reform promised years ago.Nothing. Whether grads should have a vote ahead of other citizens not considered. No wonder politics held in such low esteem.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…..
Good to see the Higgins clan drawing another state salary to tide them over
I don’t think you can fail to be elected a TD and then go and get into the senad! We need fresh thinkers and new blood in the senad!!
Bad week for the Independent group with Irish water having been flushed down the toilet of history and Averil Working Class Power been shown the door . Oh the joy
All I can say to Averil is Haw Haw Haw Haw!! Great to see one like her losing out. Think I’ll have a day off just to relish it. Am still laughing, Avril longface.
Eayenm, good!
The senate reminds me of the house of lords in the u.k. means nothing to me nor those the senate ,just failed politicians and would be politicians ,with their snouts in the trough ,We got a vote to abolish it ,i wonder if there was another vote would it give a different answer ?
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